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…

Five informal reading inventories and one standardized test containing graded reading passages were reviewed to determine their readability estimates. (HOD)

Reports on an examination of intermediate level basal readers in eight series, concluding that they reflect reasonably well the interests of intermediate children. (DD)

Suggests seven value clarification exercises based on situations in basal reading series in which characters could have acted, thought, or felt differently. (MKM)

Indexes 68 reading series or supplementary reading materials by 29 publishing companies and indicates which of them are at the same readability level. (DD)

A humorous account of errors in existing basal readers and workbooks. (DD)

Investigates the effects of a classroom reading program in which students who passed pretests on basal skills were excused from subsequent instruction and practice on those skills. Finds that most students were able to pass pretests on reading skills before the skills were covered in the basal reading program. (RS)

Draws a humorous analogy between superstitious behavior induced in chickens and the beliefs and folkways that are manifested in the teaching of beginning reading and the teaching of study strategies. Argues that it is very easy and natural to fall into patterns of superstitious, meaningless behavior, such as teaching from basal readers. (RS)

The comparative efficacy of overcorrection, phonic analysis, or a no-intervention control condition on the number of oral reading errors made by three moderately mentally retarded children (ages 9, 10, and 12). Phonic analysis proved to be more effective than over-correction which was also more effective than no intervention. (Author/DB)

Suggests that children's literature scholars have aided in the basalization of children's literature by being naive about what basals are. Argues that basals cannot be improved except as a means for helping children become more controlled readers. Argues that scholars must offer teachers alternate visions of education and how literature fits in…

The teacher needs to be well versed in the teaching of reading. There is content to read in each curriculum area regardless of the grade level taught. There also are clearly differentiated programs of instruction. Each is based on a selected psychological school of thought. Educators need to study and analyze each school of thought to see where it…

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…

A study explored the nature of whole language as compared to the basal program for the years 1990-1991 and 1991-1992. The samples of pupils involved were from the eight elementary schools, housing grades kindergarten through grade five, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. The students have been instructed for many years in the basal approach. Since…

A study (replicating a similar 1977 study by S. Stotsky), examined whether current basal series teach prefixion clearly. Teacher's guides, student texts, and workbooks of nine popular basal reader series were examined to ascertain whether they offered a clear definition of the term "prefix" and whether that definition was reinforced by…