Analyzes four basal reading series to ascertain current usage of the words on the Dolch List. Reports that the listed words continue to be widely used and that the list remains a potent force in elementary school reading programs. (TJ)

After a brief historical review of the development of basic reading materials and controlled vocabularies, a study to determine the percentage of Dolch words in four recently published basal reader programs is reported. The percentages provided help in determining whether the Dolch list is still viable. Results revealed that words on the Dolch…

This study replicated and validated the Dolch basic sight vocabulary investigation. Dolch's method of compiling his list of 95 nouns was also replicated. Some discrepancies were found between the replication study and Dolch's investigations--a few words were left off the lists, although they apparently met all the criteria for inclusion, and a…

Discusses large corpus and pedagogical word lists. Develops two word lists based on 80 compositions of second-, fifth-, eighth-, and eleventh-grade students from a metropolitan school district in western United States. Compares both favorably to the Dolch list. Notes remaining need to investigate vocabulary of individual beginning reading texts.…