Reports the findings of a study of the validity of six common assumptions concerning the readability of basal readers. Concludes that if teachers had access to reasonably complete information about the readability properties of basal readers and workbooks, improved reading instruction would result. (JM)

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BASAL READER FROM ITS BEGINNINGS IN THE LATE 1700'S TO ITS STATUS IN THE GRADED SCHOOLS OF TODAY IS SURVEYED. THE MCGUFFEY READERS ARE CITED AS THE FIRST CAREFULLY GRADED SERIES OF ONE READER FOR EACH GRADE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SINCE THEN, CHANGES IN CONTENT, TYPOGRAPHY, IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF ILLUSTRATIONS,…

A study of physical and pedagogical characteristics, determination of basal difficulty, and story contents in West German and United States reading texts shows that basal readers are more often similar than dissimilar, perhaps having undergone similar developmental changes across cultures. (JM)

Although there is general agreement on the importance of children's literature in the elementary school curriculum and on the need for adequate teacher education in this field, there are many specific issues related to children's literature that need clarification. One such issue is the role of literature in the reading program. Some educators,…

Designed to provide high interest reading materials for late-adolescent- and adult-elementary-level readers, this kit provides seven play reading exercises suitable for all readability levels from fourth grade and below to eighth grade and above. The kit includes seven reading exercises which may be used in any order. Instructions and suggestions…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the readability of three collections of reading textbooks adopted for use in California for four student groups--culturally disadvantaged, slow, average, and fast. The Botel readability formula was applied to nine, 100-word samples taken from a total of twenty-four…

Designed to provide high interest reading materials for late-adolescent- and adult-elementary-level readers, this kit contains reading exercises with a difficulty of fourth-grade-and-below readability. The kit includes thirty-five reading exercises developed from unedited stories dictated by students (the Learning Experience Approach). Following…

Designed to provide high interest reading materials for late-adolescent- and adult-elementary-level readers, this kit contains reading exercises with a difficulty of approximately fifth-grade readability. The kit includes forty-six reading exercises developed from unedited stories dictated by students (the Learning Experience Approach). Following…

Designed to provide high interest reading materials for late-adolescent- and adult-elementary-level readers, this kit contains reading exercises with a difficulty oF approximately sixth-to-eighth-grade readability. The kit includes forty-two reading exercises developed from unedited stories dictated by students (the Learning Experience Approach).…

Designed to provide high interest reading materials for late-adolescent- and adult-elementary-level readers, this kit contains reading exercises with a difficulty of eighth-grade-and-above readability. The kit includes twenty reading exercises developed from unedited stories dictated by students (the Learning Experience Approach). Following each…

The readability levels of ten basal readers commonly used to develop word recognition and comprehension skills in learning disabled children from grades 3 through 6 were compared with the readability levels of their accompanying workbooks. (Author/DLS)

This teacher's manual is designed to accompany a reading kit intended to provide high interest reading materials for late adolescent and adult elementary-level readers (see note). Introductory information discusses the development of the reading exercises from unedited stories dictated by students (the Learning Experience Approach) and…