Characteristics of Tasks Used for Skill Instruction in Two Basal Reader Series

This study examined whether the teacher-guided and student independent practice and evaluation tasks recommended in basal teachers' manuals are designed to promote the application of 2 reading comprehension skills. We examined reading tasks in main idea and cause-effect skill lessons from grades 1 through 5 in 2 basal series (Ginn, and Houghton Mifflin). For each task, we examined 3 characteristics: the nature of independent practice opportunities, the extent to which recommended teacher-guided practice tasks prepare students to apply reading skills, and the assessment systems used to gauge student understanding of the 2 comprehension skills. Independent practice opportunities were evaluated by examining their frequency, spacing, and conditions, including required cognitive level, writing response, and length of text selection. Suggestions for teacher preparation of students were evaluated by comparing cognitive level and text length used in recommended teacher-guided and student independent practice tasks. Assessments were evaluated by examining the cognitive level of their items and the relationship between skill assessment and the different practice opportunities used in skill lessons. Results indicated that independent and guided practice opportunities did not match research-based recommendations for reading instruction; tasks were not spaced so that more practice opportunities were offered when skills were first introduced or reintroduced. Instead, practice opportunities were related to when skills were assessed. Second, teacher-guided and independent practice and assessments seldom required the use of higher-order cognitive processes, sophisticated writing responses, or the reading of lengthy text selections. These findings suggest that it is unlikely that recommended basal tasks included in skill lessons will promote the development of student expertise in applying reading skills to complex texts.