"Treasures, a basal reading program for students in grades K-6, was developed to address reading comprehension among students in the middle elementary grades. "Treasures" is based on extensive research in vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and phonics and combines "explicit instruction and ample practice to ensure students'…

The study uses a quasi-experimental comparison group design to test the effectiveness of "Treasures" by comparing outcomes for students who used "Treasures" to those who did not use "Treasures", adjusting for differences between the "Treasures" and comparison groups on baseline characteristics. The study…

Students with high-incidence disabilities struggle with reading comprehension due to difficulties in background knowledge and metacognitive skills, including use of self-monitoring and other strategies. In the United States, these students typically receive the majority of their instruction in general education settings. However, there is little…

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of reading programs of students who used the Reading Program One, Reading Program Two, and Reading Program Three reading programs and those students who were taught using no basal reading program in North Mississippi. The study also assessed teachers' perceptions of the various reading programs…

The authors used a randomized design to investigate the effects of an enriched reading program, Schoolwide Enrichment Reading Model (SEM-R), with blocks of independent reading on oral reading fluency (ORF), reading comprehension, and attitudes toward reading for students in Grades 3-5. The authors used SEM-R in comparison with basal reading…

This study compared the reading achievement levels of 323 third grade students from a Caribbean school district receiving instruction from three different programs. Students were identified as at risk with a 95% minority enrollment, 100% free lunch and transportation, and the lowest NAEP test scores in the nation. Total standardized test scores…

This article documents evaluations of the New Primary Grades Reading System (NRS). NRS was implemented in a variety of settings. Evaluations track implementation from early stages of pilot testing through large-scale adoption of NRS. Accumulation of evidence regarding success of innovation across settings allows greater confidence in conclusions…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant mean differences exist in standardized reading scores between a district that utilized a single basal series to develop reading ability and a district utilizing a tri-basal approach to reading. A cross-section of elementary teachers from two similar suburban school districts that…

THE RELATIONSHIP OF TWO PATTERNS OF INSTRUCTION TO VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION WAS STUDIED. THESE ASPECTS INCLUDED (1) READING ACHIEVEMENT, (2) SCHOOL-RELATED ATTITUDES, (3) SOCIOMETRIC CHOICES, (4) SCHOOL-RELATED ANXIETY, AND (5) TEACHER AWARENESS. THE 10 EXPERIMENTAL AND 10 CONTROL GROUPS WERE PRETESTED WITH THE METROPOLITAN…

A study examined the effect of direct instruction on increasing students' reading competency. The study followed several studies done between 1977 and 1995 on the Direct Instruction Model for reading instruction, developed and implemented in the 1960s. The population of the 2-year study included 105 southwest Chicago area third-grade students from…

This evaluation report is designed to meet two major objectives: a) to determine the extent of and the factors associated with variations in success and failure among children enrolled in the Distar Follow-Through programs, and b) to determine variations in success and failure in selected measures as they occur between children enrolled in the…

A study compared selected language features of children in five different reading programs. Selected for study were two first grade classes from each of five urban school districts that were using either the Lippincott, Language Experience, Houghton Mifflin, Open Court, or the Ginn 720 basal reading programs. A prereading test was administered to…

Following a discussion of the characteristics of an ideal reading program, this paper presents a comparative analysis of two reading programs--one a teacher-created tradebook program and one a commercially prepared basal reader program--and measures them against the ideal. The paper analyzes the programs in terms of the following characteristics:…

A study compared reading instruction in two South Carolina public elementary schools, Sumner and Danville, that receive federal funding for remedial reading instruction under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. The two schools vary in many ways--Danville is a "traditional" school in a predominantly black urban…

Examines the first-grade materials in five new basal programs submitted for the 1993 Texas state adoption, comparing them with program materials currently in use in the state. Finds substantial changes in the more recent series. Interprets findings in terms of historical trends as well as recent developments in the literature-based and…