This response to Gersten and Dimino (EC 606 357) claims that their paper: (1) does not emphasize the considerable research literature associated with both the whole language and direct instructional approaches; (2) does not help teachers make balanced instructional decisions; (3) focuses on extreme positions; and (4) considers motivation only in…

Discusses the Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) that is an instructional activity designed to help students work with a standard feature of reading: answering questions based on a text. Asserts that the QAR strategy has tremendous potential to help students learn important social studies content through the study of children's literature. (CMK)

Reexamines the pros and cons of traditional basal reader and literature-based reading programs and those based on the whole language approach. Compares and contrasts classroom teaching methods, goals, and some outcomes. Includes Venn diagram showing overlap and divergence of whole language, literature-based, and traditional basal methods. (ET)

The authors of a report on the technical adequacy of alternative reading measures reflect on issues concerning "whole language" terminology, the use of both quantitative and qualitative measures, and instructional decision making. (DB)

A case study examined the decision-making process that impelled a teacher to change her literacy instructional practices and the change process she went through when adopting new practices. The teacher (who has taught first grade for 5 years at an elementary school in a large Caribbean island school district) volunteered to try whole language…

Two studies focused on concurrent validity and instructional decision making in using alternative reading measures with elementary regular and special education students. The first study examined the relation of oral reading performance to several other reading measures; the second study investigated teacher decision making, using quantitative and…