Improving basal reading instruction: Beyond the carrot and the stick

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

What do basal readers mean for elementary school reading programs? Attempting to answer this complex question requires consideration of a variety of related issues and, as one would expect, also leads to other questions. Part of the answer is that basal readers have often meant rigid sequences of contrived selections, copious amounts of isolated skills sheets, bored and anxious students, and deskilled and frustrated teachers.