Indicates that pictures that elicit children's language depict more actions, children, and people than do pictures that elicit lesser amounts of language from children. (FL)

Investigates Nebraska elementary school teachers' attitudes about whole language. Finds that teachers with a higher tendency to use whole language were those who felt more comfortable with whole language, had training in whole language, felt whole language should replace basal programs, and felt whole language can be used in conjunction with…

Compares basal readers' vocabulary load in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Finds that the average number of words introduced in books for first grade increased during this time. Recommends that teachers adjust instruction to meet the needs of less able students when using basals with a high vocabulary load. (RS)

Investigated the ability of 311 educators to discriminate instruction in reading comprehension from related activities. Results indicate that although 84 percent of teachers correctly identified comprehension instruction, they were unable to discriminate instruction from other types of activities. (RJC)

Describes contraints on reading instruction, such as basal readers, assessment methods, and academic competition in the classroom. Presents a motivational agenda for improving reading instruction that removes the focus on ego and extrinsic goals and stresses self-appraisal and development of positive attitudes. Includes 45 references. (MLH)

Investigates main idea instruction in three basal reading series. Finds statistically significant differences in main idea instruction for the parameters "main idea task" and "acknowledgement of strategies mediating main idea task." Determines that basal reader materials rarely encourage students to monitor their main idea…

Proposes using literature to teach reading to learning-disabled students as an alternative to basal readers, because authentic text is more predictable, cohesive, and interesting. Additional components of a literature-based program include reading aloud, silent reading, self-selection of materials, meaning-centered curriculum, oral response…

Describes how basal readers manufacture reading failures among students from less-privileged economic and social backgrounds. Reviews the history of reading instruction in the United States. Calls for educators to speak out against reading practices that protect the privilege of the upper and upper-middle classes by encoding their values and…

Designed to assess the cognitive requirement expected or implied in beginning reading materials and in their instructional suggestions and to determine whether these materials are appropriate to the cognitive development of the children who will use them, this instrument is for use by evaluators with the first reader in a basal series. It directs…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct instructional paradigm for teaching children to comprehend main ideas of prose passages. Subjects, 69 children in three fourth grade classes, were randomly assigned to an experimental "strategy" group receiving direct instruction in main ideas, an experimental "basal" group…

This study examined the authorship and discourse types of Canadian basal anthologies to determine whether the lingering centrality of the basal anthology in Canadian programs controls students and teachers by controlling language and reading. Each selection within five Canadian basal series (Gage Expressways II, Ginn Journeys, Holt Impressions,…

Describes a reading program that uses a combination of basal readers to teach beginning reading. (RB)

The Fry Readability Formula was used to investigate the readability levels of stories contained in basal readers of the 1979 edition of the "Open Court" series for grades one through six. The average readability levels of the stories were then compared to those found in the 1976 edition of the same series. The purposes of the study were…

The study involving two low achieving first graders was designed to develop a remediation strategy offering increased opportunities for student responses through the rearrangement of skills and the teaching format. Four questions were addressed: What are the effects of the rearrangement of skills and the teaching format in the Ginn 720 Reading…

Analyzes six basal reader sets for K-3 for inclusion of 14 activities. Finds that: nine activities appear in less than one percent of stories and five appear in five percent or more, publishers use latter five differently, use between grades does not differ, and four of five activities appear more in supplements than in the main portion of…