During the past 30 years, the author has worked with children and young adults from ages 3 to 18 (not to mention teachers, families, administrators, lecturers, and visiting authors), and she has read a lot of books. Because there are so many kids' books being published these days, she is not expecting total perfection. Still, there are many things…

To prevent a paper from being discarded and ensure that it addresses the right audience, it must have a proper title that satisfies certain requirements. Writing the titles to scientific articles is therefore a challenging exercise that demands the use of various skills. Still, although the research paper is one of the most thoroughly studied…

Given the results of experience and research, it is no longer possible to treat school textbooks as something incidental or accessory to the educational process. In the last few years, funding agencies have gradually but systematically initiated reflection on textbooks. It is now accepted that pupil access to school textbooks is one criterion for…

A READING PROJECT WAS INITIATED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION IN INDIA TO (1) PRODUCE TEXTBOOKS AND WORKBOOKS, FIELD TEST THE BOOKS, AND TRAIN TEACHERS TO USE THEM, (2) PRODUCE TEACHERS MANUALS, (3) CONSTRUCT FIRST-GRADE TESTS, (4) CONSTRUCT ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, AND (5) PRODUCE THESE BOOKS IN HINDI. THE ENSUING GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO WRITE AND…

A reading project was initiated by the National Institute of Education in India to (1) produce textbooks and workbooks, field test the books, and train teachers to use them, (2) produce teachers manuals, (3) construct first-grade tests, (4) construct achievement tests, and (5) produce these books in Hindi. The ensuing guide for those who write and…

The three papers included in this report address typography for graphic communication, typographic access structures for educational texts, and typography as macropunctuation. The first paper considers the consequences of an aesthetic bias in the literature of typography, and identifies two misleading assumptions about textbooks; i.e., that print…

Recalls the development of the International Textbook Institute whose main aim was to overcome prejudice and the outmoded values of the national state as contained in textbooks. Discusses the contributions of the Council of Europe and UNESCO in revising textbooks and suggests methods of textbook research. (Author/RK)

This booklet addresses the question of what is wrong with textbooks and then shows how textbooks can be improved through the selection process. A conceptual scheme is proposed as the basis of the selection process. Specific attributes and features to look for when selecting textbooks, based on this conceptual scheme, are discussed. Five categories…

The paper analyzes seven widely-used fifth grade social studies textbooks with the hypothesis that texts are unnecessarily loaded with poorly conceived instructional design features that often do not relate to content or skills and tend to minimize the primary function of the texts. Using present and future challenges facing the United States as a…

Three favorable reactions to an 11th-grade textbook chapter dealing with the history surrounding the writing of the U.S. Constitution that was written by experts as an example of an ideal textbook are presented. The evaluators thought that the chapter is in many ways exemplary and is a good initial attempt at writing an ideal text. (RM)

Reviews the results of a study of the quality of basal reading textbooks and a survey of primary and secondary school teachers' perceptions of their quality. Considers the ways in which the textbook adoption process affects content and urges teachers to become more involved in this process. (DMM)

Described in these four contributions to a discussion group are options open to publishers and purchasers to improve textbooks and textbook selection. The first contribution (by Robert L. Brunelle) briefly introduces the discussion and stresses the urgency of creating higher standards for textbooks as part of overall educational reforms. The…

Experts who had been suggesting criteria for "considerate text"--text that facilitates understanding, learning, and remembering--were challenged to write an ideal textbook. The chapter--"Americans Develop Plans for Government"--that they wrote in response to the challenge is presented here. The rationale and strategy they used…