Analyzing Beginning Reading Programs

This article bridges the gap between research and practice in beginning reading instruction by applying research-based evaluation criteria in a systematic analysis of recently published curriculum materials. Through a review of research on beginning reading instruction, the authors derived two instructional features characteristic of effective reading programs: explicit phonics instruction and a strong relationship between that phonics instruction and the words of the text selections in student reading materials. This article describes a curriculum analysis of several commercially published first-grade basal reading programs, which reveals significant discrepancies between the instructional strategies supported by the literature and the strategies endorsed by many basal reading programs; cautions are included. The authors conclude with recommendations for educators involved in evaluating, selecting, and modifying beginning reading curriculum materials.