This article reports a study of decision-making processes for selecting instructional materials. The project had two aims: (1) to survey research findings and practices of decision-making processes in instructional material selection in the United States and Australia; and (2) to identify the attributes of decision-making processes used to select…

The two reading programs discussed in this paper, "Reading Unlimited" (RU) published by Scott Foresman and "New Primary Grades Reading Systems" (RS) by the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center, provide maximal contrasts in materials and teaching strategies. The instructional strategies in RU are…

The revised Spache Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Formula were applied to 20 selected reading materials designed for adolescents reading at second grade level. Three samples from each text were examined. The results using the Spache formula corresponded to the publisher's stated readability levels, with no significant variability…

The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics desired by college English teachers in a composition handbook with the characteristics actually found in those recently published in order to help teachers in the selection of this resource. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to 200 members (170 responded) of the Conference on…

A study examined eight business Spanish textbooks for cultural content by looking at commonly appearing cultural topics and themes, presentation of cultural information, activities and techniques used to promote cultural understanding, and incorporation of authentic materials. The texts were evenly divided among beginning, intermediate, and…

A study examined the general content and characteristics of elementary science textbooks and compared selected text segments from several content domains across publishers. The Merrill and Silver-Burdette science programs for grades 1-5 and one level of both the Holt and McGraw-Hill programs were evaluated. Results indicated substantial…

To determine whether Olivet Nazarene University's standard freshman writing course requirements measure favorably with those of the majority of the 75 Christian College Coalition (CCC) members, a study compared the textbooks, papers, activities, and evaluation procedures required by each institution. Stephen Witte's "National Survey of…

This examination of the treatment given to peace and security issues in American social studies textbooks begins by summarizing the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Curriculum Guidelines and a 1983 study of high school social studies topic priorities. Following a review of past textbook studies and a brief discussion of textbook…

Testing the assumption that textbooks were getting harder while students' abilities have been declining over the years, a study was conducted to determine the readability levels of six college reading textbooks across three editions to see if they were equal or the same in readability. The study also sought to determine whether these texts were…

Analyzes the different types of texts that can be used in the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. Based on their communicative function, the texts are divided into the following categories: description, narration, instruction, argumentation, and exposition. Grids with examples of each type of text are included. (CFM)

Determined that emergent literacy activities that experts identified as appropriate to instructional materials were not prominent in basal text materials. Found small differences between meaning- and decoding-oriented material in literary quality, letter-sound correspondence, and word identification. (BC)

This review focuses on 15 general applied multivariate textbooks that were published in the 1980s and have potential for in-class use by social and behavioral science students. The review covers content, information on previous book reviews, computer use coverage, reliance on matrices, and quality ratings. (TJH)

Results on content-oriented national assessment tests have demonstrated that many secondary school students in the United States are culturally illiterate. E. D. Hirsch has compiled a list of 4,500 terms, dates, phrases, and sayings that he argues represents the broad knowledge base that culturally literate U.S. citizens should possess. Twelve…

READING PROGRAMS IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES IN MANITOBA, CANADA, WERE STUDIED OVER A 4-YEAR PERIOD TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPES OF PROGRAMS WERE IN EFFECT AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE TEACHING OF READING. INCLUDED IN THE REPORT ARE (1) A SURVEY OF READING IN MANITOBA FROM 1946-1966, (2) A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE…

While foreign language textbooks have improved in recent years, the standard grammatical base remains unchanged. Instead of the usual morphologically-based syllabus, a semantico-grammatical one is suggested in which the categories, relating meaning and form, make it possible to teach language structure in a coherent and communicatively relevant…