In three series of state-adopted parallel English and Spanish basal readers, comprehension questions most frequently assessed literal comprehension, followed by inference, evaluation, and appreciation. Readability level was higher than stated for second and third grade English texts and higher for Spanish than English texts. Contains 24…

This study attempted to validate both the Fry-Kernel Distance Theory and the De Pierro findings, in determining the suitability of text material for the students to be instructed. First-year community college students were presented with sentences arranged in pairs, each representing two of four prescribed types. Subjects were to select the harder…

Investigated was the compatibility between the intellectual abilities of students and the level of intellectual operations required by secondary level physics textbooks. Student intellectual levels were determined for 949 tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade students by administration of Piagetian tasks. Major concepts presented in physics…

The purposes of this study were to determine to what extent selected critical reading skills are presented in current basal readers; to determine commonalities in their presentation; to ascertain if critical skills are stated as specific objectives; and to determine if practice and evaluation materials are provided for each selected skill by the…

A set of textbooks used in grades one through six was analyzed to determine the degree of social realism in the books. Results indicated that the selected set of textbooks was socially realistic, reflecting the diversity of cultures that exists in the United States. The texts contained stories that pictured whites, blacks, and other minorities in…

Fry's Readability Graph was used to determine the readability levels of the 1981 Scott, Foresman and Co. basal textbook series for grades one through six. The readability levels were then compared to those established for the 1978 edition. In the 1981 edition, all stories were handscored. Poems, skill lessons, and plays were not examined in order…

A study determined whether basal series published in 1993 are consistent with research on literacy development which indicates that children need authentic text that is full-length, unedited and connects content to the reading experience. Pupil editions, teacher's manuals, lesson structure, skills taught, the amount of skill work compared to…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemistry collection of the College of Wooster's Chemistry Library. In particular, the extent to which the library supports the curriculum of the chemistry and biochemistry program by providing additional sources to supplement course textbooks was evaluated. Focus was on materials present in the…

English as a Second Language (ESL) composition textbooks were compared with freshman composition textbooks through a national survey of U.S. universities. A detailed content analysis of nine ESL and eighteen English composition texts was conducted. A questionnaire was sent to selected universities asking the faculty to answer textbook-related…

This paper begins with a discussion of reasons why the Uganda College of Commerce was established and how the curriculum for the Uganda Diploma in Business Studies (UDBS) was developed. A historical survey of the course development is presented, focusing on the course objectives. The achievements and non-achievements of the UDBS are analyzed,…

Although the teaching of English at Junior Certificate level in Malawi secondary schools has only recently been introduced, some problems have been created by the introduction of the prescribed textbook, "A New Introduction to English Literature." This report opens with a critical review of the textbook, citing certain irrelevancies in…

Children who speak the black dialect usually are low classroom achievers. Teachers must understand differences between Black English (BE) and the reading text. This paper shows how black children experience difficulties with reading programs. Three basal reading series are analyzed. Initial Teaching Alphabet - phonics; Scientific Research…

Pupil learning about evolution under different types of instruction is examined. A branching style program in which written responses were required was compared with a program in which the same material was presented in straight narrative style. The project compiled and analyzed test results from 115 fifth-grade students. The students were divided…