It has been more than twenty years since the National Reading Panel Report (2000) provided recommendations for the teaching of reading based on a meta-analysis of suitable research. The report was commissioned at the end of the 1990s, just as the "whole language" reading movement that advocated for analytic phonics instruction and having…

Despite over 25 years of research supporting the instruction of comprehension strategies, it seems that such instruction is not readily found in many classrooms or basal readers, resulting in students that struggle with analyzing and comprehending text. This is particularly true in the primary grades. Originally designed with seventh grade…

The process of teaching the child to read has gone through many stages of progress. Word, sentence, and phonic methods may each contribute to the process, and that undue emphasis on any one of these methods demands too great a sacrifice in quality and interest. The "Merrill Primer" is built on the familiar rhymes of Mother Goose and…

Laments the past misuse and misunderstanding of phonics. Introduces the term "new phonics" to describe the sophisticated, research-based phonics being used in the basal reading scheme, "Language in Action." (JL)

An examination of basal readers shows that the world portrayed in them is unrealistic, boring, and one that misrepresents and underrepresents women and minorities. (IRT)

Suggests that by modifying the manner in which workbook pages are presented to students, teachers can increase their effectiveness as teaching tools. (FL)

Uses content analysis and a descriptive technique to describe the attributes of the most prominent workbook items found in the workbooks of four basal reading series. (SR)

Considers "what didn't work" in literature-based reading programs. Analyzes messages to teachers in teachers' guides for such programs published between 1990 and 1995. Follows M. Foucault's interpretations of historical, social, and cultural constructions of discourses. Finds the literature-based visions become blurred as the mixed…

A study described first-grade teachers' beliefs and practices about reading instruction. Drawing from interview and observational data, 16 teachers from 4 districts in south-central Texas were placed on a continuum from skills-based to literature-based in relationship to their use of the basal. Only 2 teachers were found to rely solely on the…

A study investigated differences in reading achievement of students taught with a whole language philosophy compared to students taught using a basal textbook. Subjects, 20 second grade students taught using a whole language philosophy and 17 second grade students in the same school using basal textbooks, were given pre- and posttests to determine…

Discusses the problems of overusing workbooks, dittos, and basal assessment tests in beginning reading instruction. Proposes alternatives. (FL)

Commonalities and variations across basal reading programs are discussed. The major physical and instructional components are described, including instructional materials, teachers' guides, and management systems. It is asserted that familiarity with basal programs is useful for the school psychologist. Procedures are suggested for acquiring…

Notes that children often fail to interpret metaphors correctly and that instruction in basal readers is not always helpful. Offers a strategy that shows students how to figure out metaphors on their own. (FL)

Argues that Piaget's cognitive stage theory complements psycholinguistic theories of fluent reading by clarifying how readers acquire and then use prior knowledge. Suggests that, in this light, teachers may want to rearrange the order and manner in which they present units from basal readers. (FL)

Reports that (1) the most common organizational pattern used by teachers for reading instruction is to divide the class into three subgroups and (2) students rarely move from one group to another. (FL)