This explanatory sequential mixed methods study sought to understand the influences of teaching experience on perceptions of autonomy and competence on 7th through 12th grade English language arts teachers' text selection decisions through a survey and interviews. The findings of this explanatory sequential design survey study could affirm…

Selecting appropriate texts for L2 (second/foreign language) learners is an important approach to enhancing motivation and, by extension, learning. There is currently no tool for classifying foreign language texts according to a language proficiency framework, which makes it difficult for students and educators to determine the precise…

Choosing books for the music classroom can seem like a daunting task. Which ones are useful--and not so useful? What works for one teacher or situation may not work for all, but guidelines and recommendations can prove helpful, particularly to the beginning music educator or one undertaking a new subject. This article discusses the views of music…

School librarians are experts at so many things: navigating the seas of digital information to find an elusive article, creating interactive forums in which kids learn to collaborate and create, and, of course, critically selecting materials. Some have been reading and reviewing books for so long they can smell a stinker from a mile away or…

College and university adoption and use of books as common reads has increased over the last several years. The growing popularity has also brought to light significant variations in how colleges and universities select and use common read texts. In some higher educational institutions, one tome is selected for all freshmen to read and discuss…

This article describes 10 recommendations for creativity, higher-order thinking, and meaningful learning activities that can be used to guide teachers in constructing an engaging AP course: (1) Be on the committee that decides how students will be selected for AP; (2) Maximize time and connections through blocks of time with an English colleague;…

Suzanne M. Kauer believes we must honor all voices in the discussion of what books students should read; she refuses to simplify the issue of censorship by dismissing the multifaceted concerns parents have for saying no to certain books. Kauer advocates doing more listening--asking parents questions to better understand their perspectives--and…

Passages from three selected samples of textbooks are used to show what requirements are made of textbooks in the social sciences. Some hints are given to the teacher for converting reading suggestions into instructional material. Short texts from Karl Marx are also suggested. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The items listed and annotated in this bibliography on intellectual freedom are limited to materials published between 1966 and 1971 in both books and periodicals. As used in this bibliography, intellectual freedom refers to the free access to and acquisition of all materials in whatever subject area and form, and the distribution of those…

Advocates using the cloze procedure and varying the criteria of success, according to the group, in order to determine the readability of instructional materials. (MKM)

If the textbook and material selection process is to be adequately supported in school budgets, curriculum directors, teachers, and administrators must be able to defend their requests with high-quality information. This article offers nine suggestions to help build a leadership structure and a database for making appropriate textbook selections.…

Alleges misinterpretation by the media of school book selection policies. Criticizes the findings of the nationwide survey on censorship sponsored by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Association of American Publishers, and the American Library Association. Details controversies in Montgomery County, MD, Merrimack,…

Presents 30 questions about values in reading that teachers can review when deciding which stories and readers ought to be used with children. The questions are divided into five categories: characters depicted; story philosophy of values; plot development; cultural, social and physical setting; and emotional intensity. (NEC)

Context in this article is the victimization of teacher's in their purchase of textbooks. (RK)

The demands of special interest groups from the conservative right and the liberal left have resulted in more restrictive censorship in American education. (RL)