If you ask most teachers to describe the type of reading program in their school, they would include the word œbalanced, which can imply any combination of a variety of descriptors: whole language and phonics, small group and whole group, guided reading and shared reading, basal textbooks and technology-based resources, etc. It seems that today’s publishers include it all in their basal reading programs.
Examine a current basal series. Look at a particular level and discuss the following:
The interest of the selections
Comparison of narrative and expository selections
Kinds of strategies and teaching suggestions presented in the teacher’s manual technology integration
Language experience activities
Ancillary materials such as transparencies, blackline masters, manipulatives, or workbooks
Interventions for struggling readers or ELL students
