Observational study of second and third grade teachers' utilization of basal readers with average and above-average readers

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to examine teachers' use of basal reading manuals with average and above-average readers to determine if differences in instruction existed. Nine teachers, each having an average and above-average reading group, volunteered to participate in the study. The teachers were then videotaped for an entire basal story cycle with each group during their regularly scheduled reading time. Two independent coders then analyzed each tape to determine what parts of the basal manual the teachers used, how many minutes they spent with each group, the number of words read by each group, and the number and types of skills taught to each group. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to determine if differences in instruction existed. Quantitative analyses included analysis of variance and a test for equality of proportions. Results of the quantitative analysis produced no significant differences in the basal components utilized by the teacher with each group. It also demonstrated no significant difference in the number of minutes spent with each group, the number of words read by each group, and the number of skills taught to each group. Qualitative results indicated that teachers were selective when using the basal manual components and tended to utilize the same components with both average and above-average readers. While no significant differences existed between ability groups, a large amount of diversification was found between teachers. It was determined that six of the nine teachers spent more time with their average than with their above-average readers. None of the teachers used the enrichment section of the basal reader with above-average readers, while two of the teachers used it with average readers.