Getting the Most from Basal Reading Selections

This article examines instructional procedures found in the preparation and questioning components of directed reading lessons for the purpose of assisting teachers to evaluate these procedures and alter them where necessary. Two elements of the preparation component are examined: background knowledge and vocabulary development. Regarding background knowledge, the topics under discussion are the selection of appropriate content that might need instructional attention, the amount of content that can be handled in a prereading period, and effective presentation of content. Regarding vocabulary development, considerations are the selection of words for instruction and how best to teach those words. The focus of discussion about the questioning component of the directed reading lesson is the contention that questions should promote students' development of a unified conception of a story, or a story map. We discuss the development of a sample story map and examine why it is useful for bringing about comprehension. The overriding theme of this article is that the teacher who will be most effective in tailoring instruction to student needs is one who most fundamentally understands the issues involved in the comprehension of text. Our intent is to orient teachers' thinking on several issues to contribute to the development of their deep understanding.