A series of nine booklets was developed to help members of textbook adoption committees, teacher educators, inservice leaders, and policymakers gather information, develop evaluation guidelines, and organize their findings as they select new reading programs and evaluate existing ones. Each booklet focuses on a specific aspect of instruction. Titles include: Beginning Reading and Decoding Skills; Comprehension I: The Directed Reading Lesson; Comprehension II: Skills and Strategies; Reading and Writing Instruction; Selections in the Basal Reader; Tests on Basal Reading Programs; Vocabulary Instruction; and Workbooks. Following the same organizational pattern, the booklets each begin with a brief discussion of findings from research and effective practice. This information is then used in the booklets as the basis for guidelines that focus attention on specific areas or points. Next, a teacher assistance section offers suggestions for ways to incorporate the booklet's information into instruction. Finally, a set of worksheets provides a means for organizing evaluation findings. A leader's manual contains instructions for the guide's use, as well as general information about basal reading programs and the textbook adoption procedure. (Author/MG)