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Promoting voluntary reading:Activities represented in basalreader manualsLesley Mandel Morrow aa Rutgers UniversityPublished online: 28 Jan 2010.

To cite this article: Lesley Mandel Morrow (1987) Promoting voluntary reading:Activities represented in basal reader manuals, Reading Research and Instruction,26:3, 189-202, DOI: 10.1080/19388078709557909

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Reading Research and Instruction1987, 26, (3) 189 - 202

Promoting Voluntary Reading:Activities Represented in Basal Reader Manuals

Lesley Mandel MorrowRutgers University

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to determine if activities that promotevoluntary reading are present in lesson plans found in teachers' manuals ofbasal readers. Six sets of basal readers for grades K through 3 were analyzedfor inclusion of 14 activities. In the 2,733 selections analyzed, nine elementsappeared in less than 1% of the stories and five appeared in 5% or more.Differences between publishers in the use of these latter five elements werefound. Additionally, there were no differences in use between grades, andfour of the five elements appeared significantly more in the supplementarysection of the basal lessons than in the main portion of the lesson plan.

Basal readers have played a major role in reading instruction in Americanclassrooms for at least 125 years (Farr & Roser, 1979). Yarington (1979)reported that at least 95% of our elementary schools use basal readers as themain source of reading instruction. The contents of basal readers have oftenbeen criticized as being sexist or racist, making use of unnatural language,lacking literary quality, or being faulty in other ways. In spite of the controversysurrounding them, basal readers dominate reading instruction and probably willcontinue to do so. The reason for their widespread use in spite of the criticism isthat they provide the teacher with a complete package of materials anddirections for instruction. New editions do reflect social change, currentresearch, and new theoretical frameworks for instruction (Farr& Roser, 1979).

Basal readers play an extensive role in reading instructional practices andtheir use often inhibits independent thinking on the part of teachers. Because oftheir widespread use and extensive influence, basal readers need to be studiedobjectively for the quality of their reading material, the interest they have forchildren, the instructional objectives they set forth, the directives they give toteachers for carrying out instruction, and their adherence to current theory andmethods.

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Recent studies on promotion of voluntary reading have revealed a strongrelationship between amount of independent silent reading and readingachievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1985). Other research has focusedon strategies for promoting voluntary reading among children (Morrow, 1982;Morrow & Weinstein, 1986).

The purpose of this study was to analyze the teachers' manuals of basalreaders currently in use in kindergarten through third grade and determinewhether or not those manuals encourage activities that have been demonstratedto promote voluntary reading among young children.

The Importance of Promoting Voluntary ReadingAlthough the promotion of voluntary reading is generally accepted as an

important goal, it has not been treated with high priority in schools. Morrow( 1986) reported that teachers, principals, and parents all ranked programmaticdevelopment of voluntary reading lower in importance than comprehension,word recognition, and study skills. While the subjects in that study generallyagreed that voluntary reading is important and that they are personallyinterested in it, given the four choices, it was not rated high in priority.

Those results explain findings from other surveys which have studied thefrequency of use of activities documented to promote voluntary reading. Inspite of data that illustrates the value of activities which encourage the use ofliterature and opportunities for independent reading, strategies for promotingvoluntary reading are neither utilized nor acknowledged by teachers as ahigh-priority or integral component of instructional programs in reading(Morrow, 1982, 1983, 1986).

Recent data suggest a strong relationship between the amount of silentreading a student does, both in and out of school, and that student's readingachievement. Those data have produced new interest in the promotion ofvoluntary reading. The average number of minutes per day spent reading bookshas been found to relate positively to readers' comprehension, vocabulary size,and gains in reading achievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1985).Studies of children identified as voluntary readers in elementary and middlegrades found those same youngsters achieving high levels of reading onstandardized tests (Greaney, 1980; Whitehead, Capey, & Maddren, 1975).Morrow (1983) found that kindergarteners who demonstrated voluntaryinterest in books not only scored significantly higher on standardized readingreadiness tests than children with a low interest in books, but were also ratedhigher by teachers on work habits, general school performance, and social andemotional development.

Activities that increase children's interest in reading have been documentedto increase children's reading achievement and to develop skills that improvetheir reading ability (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1985). Early and regularexposure to literature and pleasurable activities with literature are associated

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with increased ability and interest in independent reading. Activities such asthose in the following list are positively related to increased reading ability(Morrow, 1982; Morrow & Weinstein, 1982, 1986):

(a) discussing the meanings of stories both before and after theyare read.

(b) reading to children regularly.(c) maintaining a classroom library corner.(d) scheduling recreational reading periods.(e) encouraging children to borrow books from a classroom

library.(0 encouraging children to keep records of books they have read,(g) using art activities that relate to stories,(h) encouraging children to write books for a classroom library,(i) encouraging children to read to each other,(j) storytelling by both children and adults,

(k) visiting school and public libraries frequently.(1) sharing books read at home and at school,

(m) discussing authors and illustrators.(n) frequently using children's literature in the instructional

setting.

Children with early and frequent exposure to such activities seem to developsophisticated language structure, accumulate background knowledge, develop asense of story structure, increase their interest in learning to read, and begin toread early (Chomsky, 1972; Cohen, 1968; Durkin, 1966). Immediate access tobooks increases the amount of independent reading by children both at homeand at school. Children in classrooms which include library corners and childrenfrom homes where books are available in many rooms of the house read morethan children who do not experience such environments (Beckman, 1972;Bissett, 1969; Morrow, 1983; Morrow & Weinstein, 1986; Powell, 1966).

Yet, substantial numbers of children choose not to read for either pleasure orinformation. Greaney (1980) found that 22% of the fifth-grade students hesurveyed chose not to read at all; those who did choose to read spent only 5% oftheir free time doing so. Spiegel (1981) cited a 1972 Gallup survey that indicatedthat 80% of the books read in the United States were read by only 10% of thepopulation. Half the adults sampled said they had never read a book all the waythrough. An extensive investigation by the Book Industry Study Group (1984)revealed that the number of those people under 21 who were identified as readershad dropped 12% in the interim since a similar 1976 study.

It has been suggested that low levels of voluntary reading among the young areindirect, but definitive, results of the fact that most reading instruction isoriented to skill-building, the use of basal readers, and preparation forstandardized tests, with little systematic promotion of independent reading inthe typical program (Lamme, 1976; Spiegel, 1981). Because voluntary reading isnot widely promoted through regularly scheduled activities with literature and

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well-designed classroom library corners (Hall, 1971; Morrow, 1982), it is notsurprising that many children choose not to read.

Because of the evidence presented earlier that voluntary readers seem to besuccessful readers, one could expect that promotion of voluntary reading habitswould be given high priority in instructional programs in reading. In Becoming aNation of Readers (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985), independentreading is referred to as a major source of reading fluency.

Given the extant research literature, it would seem appropriate for basalreaders, which play a dominant role in reading instruction in our schools, toincorporate activities that have been found to promote voluntary reading. Thepresent study therefore asked the following specific questions:

(a) How frequently do the teachers' manuals that accompany basal readerssuggest or recommend activities that have been found to promote voluntaryreading?

(b) Are there consistent differences in that frequency among publishers?(c) Are there consistent differences in that frequency across grade levels?(d) Are there consistent differences in that frequency between the primary

lesson plans in the manual and the supplementary or optional sections of themanual?

METHOD

MaterialsBecause of their widespread use and the differences among them in

philosophy or approach, six sets of current basal readers were selected foranalysis. Materials analyzed within each set ranged from pre-primers throughthird grade. The six series include:

Pathfinder Reading Program (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1978). The publishersdescribe the program as being language-based with a strong emphasis onchildren's literature. Skill development is integrated with literature, writing,attitude, and creativity.

Keys to Reading, Basal Reading Program (Los Angeles: Economy, 1986). Thepublisher describes the program as phonic-based with additional basic word-analysis tools. There is an early emphasis on independent reading combined withcomprehension and meaning.

Ginn Reading Program (Boston: Ginn, 1984). The publisher's major goal is toteach children to understand written language. Instruction is divided into fourstrands: decoding, vocabulary, study skills, and comprehension. Reading skillsare enriched, reinforced, and applied by utilizing activities in language,literature, and creativity.

HBJ Bookmark Reading Program (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1983). The publisher describes the program as using the highest quality fiction

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and non-fiction selections. Instruction emphasizes the development andintegration of decoding, comprehension, language study skills, and literatureappreciation.

Lippincott Basic Reading (New York: Harper & Row, 1981). The publisherdescribes this program as being a highly organized phonic/linguistic approach.After the decoding process has been taught, emphasis is placed upon thedevelopment of comprehension.

Scott Foresman Reading (Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman, 1985). Thepublisher's goal is to develop the ability to identify words and comprehend theliteral and implied meanings of words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, andwhole selections. The program purports to develop study skills, an interest inand a love for reading, and the ability to use what is learned from reading increative experiences.

ProcedureAll lesson plans for all stories in the teachers' manuals were analyzed by

research assistants for the books in each series from kindergarten through thirdgrade, a total of 2,733 lesson plans in 122 books. Tables 1 and 2, respectively,present the total number of stories and books by publisher and by grade.

The manuals were analyzed for the number of times they suggested any of 14different activities that have been found to promote voluntary reading:

(a) leading discussion of a story for its meaning before and after the story isread.

(b) reading to children.(c) including library corners in the classroom.(d) scheduling recreational reading periods.(e) encouraging children to borrow books from the classroom library to read

at home.(f) encouraging children to keep records of the books they read.(g) providing art activities related to stories.(h) asking children to write their own stories for the classroom library.(i) asking children to read to each other.(j) encouraging storytelling by teachers and children.(k) encouraging use of a school or public library.(1) discussing books read at home and in school(m) discussing authors and illustrators.(n) using children's literature as a basal reader selection, or suggesting it as a

supplemental activity in a reading instructional setting.The 14 activities were selected from the results of five different studies which

had either: (a) demonstrated relationships between their presence in a programand the voluntary use of books by children instructed within those programs(Morrow, 1982,1983,1986), or (b) indicated a significant increase in voluntaryuse of books because one or more of the activities had been implemented inspecific instructional programs (Morrow & Weinstein, 1982, 1986).

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Table 1 Number of Stories and Books Analyzed by Publisher

# of Stories

# of Books

Allyn &Bacon

392

20

Economy

376

22

Ginn

523

22

Publisher

HBJ

381

22

Lippincott

393

16

ScottForesman

668

20

Totals

2733

122

Table 2 Number of Stories and Books Analyzed by Grade

# of Stories

# of Books

K

598

22

Grade1

864

40

2

645

30

3

626

30

Total

2733

122

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Any of the 14 suggestions found in the lesson plan sections of the manualswere coded separately from those found in the supplementary or optionalsections of the manuals. Thus, an activity could be tabulated twice for any onestory, once if it was suggested in the lesson plan, and once if it was suggested as asupplemental activity for the same story. Several different activities might betabulated for a single story. Evaluators counted only frequency of occurrence.

Practice sessions were held with the three research assistants who analyzed themanuals to become familiar with terminology and with the manuals themselves.A reliability check among the three assistants measured their content analysis ofthe material surrounding one story in the teachers' manual for each of the sixbasal series at each of four grade levels: K, 1,2, and 3, for a total of 24 selections.Interrater reliability across all categories was r = .91.

RESULTS

Frequency Across PublishersTable 3 presents the frequency with which activities found to promote

voluntary reading were suggested or recommended in the teachers' manualswithin lesson plans only, within supplementary or optional sections only, andwithin both. When elements appeared in 5% or more of the stories in either thelesson plan, supplement, or both, further analysis was carried out. Just fiveactivities appeared with sufficient frequency to justify continued analysis. Thefive activities are: (a) discussion of stories for meaning, (b) reading to children,(c) use of children's literature in basal selection, (d) use of art activities, and (3)scheduled recreational reading periods.

Although the total population (all stories in all books) was used for the samplein addition to frequency data, inferential statistical analyses were carried out.These analyses demonstrate the consistency and reliability of differencesdiscussed. The statistical procedures also ensure that the differences were notdue to some stray value in one book or story. The results of the differentanalysis-of-variance tests are reported on the tables. In all cases the levels ofstatistical significance were p < .001.

When observing the frequency with which the five activities occurred in theactual lesson plan or in the supplementary or optional sections, one could notethat discussing stories for meaning appeared more often in the lesson plans thanin the optional and supplementary parts. All other activities (i.e., reading tochildren, use of children's literature in basal selections, use of art activities, andscheduled recreational reading periods) appeared more often in the sup-plementary or optional section of the teacher's manual and infrequently in theactual lesson plan.

Differences Between PublishersTable 4 presents the percentages of the five most frequently recommended

activities across publishers.

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Table 3 Percent of Activities that Promote Voluntary Reading Across Grades and Publishers

Element in theLesson Plan

Element inthe Supplement

Element inboth

1. Discussing story meaning

2. Reading to children

3. Maintaining a classroom library

4. Scheduling recreational reading

5. Encouraging children to check out booksfrom the classroom library

6. Asking children to record books read

7. Doing art activities related to stories

8. Asking children to write storiesfor the classroom library

9. Encouraging children to read to each other

10. Storytelling by children

11. Using the school and public library

12. Sharing books read at home and school

13. Discussing authors and illustrators

14. Using children's literature in basal storiesor suggesting it as a supplemental activity

50.71

13.06

0.0

0.87

0.40

0.00

4.75

1.20

0.40

1.93

0.29

0.14

0.32

10.28

21.47

0.22

11.85

0.10

0.20

14.38

1.89

0.32

1.72

0.51

0.54

0.18

3.33 29.60

7.18

2.62

.01

.02

0

0

.71

.08

0

.23

0

.07

0

2.33

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Table 4 Differences Among Publishers in the Use of Activities that Promote Voluntary Reading*

1- Story discussions basedon meaning

2. Reading to children suggested

3. Children's literature usedin basal stories orsuggested in the supplement

4. Art activities relatedto stories

5. Scheduled recreationalreading suggested

Allyn &Bacon

61.47

35.33

36.47

21.27

18.11

Economy

61.73

34.13

12.80b

21.79

16.80

Ginn

35.00"

19.69"

8.601'

18.66

4.78"

HBJ

70.86s

55.76"

55.86»

29.89»

20.64"

Lippincott

61.40

33.58

51.92"

19.79

0b

ScottForesman

36.29b

21.42"

30.06

8.41"

15.09

' Post hoc comparisons among publishers in any column are statistically significant, p < .05, if they do not share the same superscript.

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In the categories of discussion of stories for meaning and reading to children,HBJ had the greatest number of activities in both areas compared to all series.Scott Foresman and Ginn, on the other hand, had the fewest. In these samecategories Allyn and Bacon, Economy, and Lippincott were similar to eachother, as well as to HBJ.

In the category of use of children's literature, HBJ and Lippincott had thegreatest number of literature selections and suggestions to use literature. Ginnand Economy had the fewest.

HBJ demonstrated the most extensive use of art activities related to stories,and Scott Foresman used the least. Allyn and Bacon, Economy, Lippincott, andGinn were all similar to each other in use of art activities and close to HBJ infrequency of use.

In the last category, scheduled recreational reading, HBJ, Allyn & Bacon,Economy, and Scott Foresman were similar in using this category morefrequently than Lippincott and Ginn. Again, HBJ used this category morefrequently than any of the other publishers.

Differences Among Grade LevelsTable 5 presents the percentages of the five most frequently recommended

activities across grade levels.In the first category, story discussion based on meaning, kindergarten and

first grade books used this technique less than grades two and three. In generalthere was an upward trend in use from kindergarten to third grade. Reading tochildren was suggested more often in grades K, 1 and 2 than in grade 3. Therewas a gradual increase in use of children's literature in basal stories andsuggested use of children's literature in the supplemental section fromkindergarten to the third grade. The third grade books used this element moreextensively than kindergarten or first. The use of art activities and scheduledrecreational reading periods increased with grade level. Art activities were usedleast in kindergarten and much less than at the other grade levels. In the area ofrecreational reading, kindergarten and first-grade books made less frequent useof this activity than in the second- and third-grade materials.

Teachers ' Use of BasaisBecause four of the five activities that promote voluntary reading were

suggested significantly more often in the supplementary or optional sections ofthe basal manuals than in the lesson plans, K-3 teachers were asked in asubsequent survey how they used their basais. Questionnaires were distributedto all K-3 teachers in 10 New Jersey school districts. A total of 200questionnaires were sent. There were 128 returns: 28 kindergarten, 30 first, 32second, and 38 third. Some of the teachers surveyed were using the basaisanalyzed in this study and some were using other basal materials.

Ninety percent of the kindergarten teachers and 100% of the first, second, andthird grade teachers reported using basal programs. Ninety percent of theteachers who used basais said they followed directions in the manuals' lesson

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Table 5 Differences in the Use of Activities that Promote Voluntary Reading Between Grade Levels"

1. Story discussions based on meaning

2. Reading to children

3. Children's literature usedin basal stories or suggestedin the supplement

4. Art activities related to

K

32.53"

29.34"

22.48"

10.44"

1

49.81"

37.66»

29.60"

19.83"

2

65.37»

30.42»

33.44

19.47»

3

67.82»

14.26"

41.39"

21.34a

stones

5. Scheduled recreationalreading

1.60" 9.68" 20.16» 20.34»

» Post hoc comparisons between grade levels in any column are statistically significant, p < .05, if they do not share the same superscript.

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plans, while only 27% reported using supplementary or optional directions. Ofthat 27%, 76% reported using supplementary suggestions with high achievingstudent groups, 19% with middle achievers, and 5% with low achievers.

The analyses of the teachers' manuals indicate that a limited number ofelements that promote voluntary reading are suggested or recommended inbasal reader instruction. Those that are included are suggested infrequently.Even though they have been demonstrated to promote interest in books andvoluntary reading, such activities as maintaining a classroom library corner,taking books home from a library corner, storytelling, reading to each other, andsharing books that have been read were not recommended often enough inteachers' manuals to be considered as significantly present. Of the five activitiesthat were suggested in conjunction with 5% or more of the basal selections, fourappeared significantly more often in supplementary sections of manuals than inprimary lesson plans. The follow-up survey of teachers indicated they do notoften use supplementary sections of manuals, and they use them least of all withlow achievers. These results suggest that of the five activities, only one,discussing stories for meaning, is likely to be used regularly.

DISCUSSION

Many differences appeared among the six basal series that were studied. TheHarcourt Brace Jovanovich series emerged as the one that most consistentlysuggested activities that promote voluntary reading. The Ginn seriesconsistently suggested the least number of such activities. The other four seriesfluctuated, depending on specific activities, with Economy, Allyn and Bacon,and Lippincott approaching the HBJ position, and Scott Foresman approach-ing Ginn's.

It is interesting to note that the publishers' descriptions of' their basaisgenerally do not accurately reflect the situation discovered in this study. Onewould expect Economy and Lippincott, described as a highly organizedphonic/linguistic program, to be less likely to emphasize some of the activitiesthat promote voluntary reading than Ginn and Scott Foresman; yet, theopposite is apparently true.

The study also revealed differences across grade levels, and trends emerged.Four of the five activities were suggested more frequently as grade levelsincreased, and there were significant differences from grade level to grade level inrecommendation of the four activities: (a) discussing a story for meaning, (b)using children's literature, (c) promoting recreational reading, and (d) using artactivities. Yet, Bloom (1964) indicates that a child's reading habits are developedearly in life. It would seem desirable to establish and encourage voluntaryreading behaviors from a child's earliest years rather than defer them two, three,or four years. Additionally, one activity, reading to children, decreased as gradelevels increased, even though it is one of the most forceful ways to promote aninterest in reading.

Based on the results of this study, several recommendations are suggested forteachers and administrators as well as for publishers. Editors of basal materials

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might very well consider including more suggestions, especially in lesson plans,of those activities that promote voluntary reading. Such activities can bescheduled and carried out rather easily during class reading instruction,independently by students, or during individual and small group instruction.

Textbook-selection committees need to be aware that a publisher'sdescription of a basal series may not adequately or accurately reflect the contentsand orientation of the materials in the series nor the recommendations for theiruse.

Both publishers and teachers should recognize and act on the fact thatactivities that promote voluntary reading are appropriate at all ages, certainlyvery early in life. As Niles wrote in the foreword for Reading for Pleasure:Guidelines (Spiegel, 1981), "If we teach children to read, but do not instill thedesire to read, what will we have accomplished?" (p. v).

Many of the activities suggested to promote voluntary reading reflect thelatest research findings concerning appropriate strategies for facilitatingliteracy. The view that reading instruction is only the systematic teaching ofskills used to translate codes is being replaced by the concept that literacy isembedded in social context. The latter concept asks that books be discussed andshared and that reading experiences be meaningful (Holdaway, 1979; Teale &Sulzby, 1986). Reading programs need to provide an environment rich inmaterials and activities from which children are invited to select — a socialsetting where children interacting with each other, with the teacher, and withmaterials. This approach to literacy includes: (a) an environment rich in literaryactivities, (b) bountifully stocked classroom library corners, (c) frequent use ofsuch areas by children, (d) reading by children for their own purposes, and (e)children's practicing of skills learned from direct instruction. Teachers must beaware of the need to include activities that promote voluntary reading in theirreading instructional program since basais do not seem to include this as apriority in their objectives. Additionally, teachers need to include activities thatpromote an interest in books because of the strong relationship that existsbetween success in reading and voluntary reading habits, and because of therecent findings concerning appropriate strategies for facilitating early literacy.Basal programs have not incorporated these research findings as completely asresearch suggests they should (Templeton, 1986).

The results of this investigation indicate that while children are being taught toread through the existing basal programs, they are not being encouraged todevelop the reading habit. On those infrequent occasions when they are used inthe classroom, activities that promote voluntary reading are consideredsupplementary or fringe, rather than central to the development of lifelongvoluntary reading. Ironically, schools spend a great deal of time teaching literacyskills and then leave little room for children to practice those skills.

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and physical design changes. Elementary School Journal, 83, 131-137.

Morrow, L. M., & Weinstein, C. S. ( 1986). Encouraging voluntary reading: The impact of a literature

program on children's use of library centers. Reading Research Quarterly, 21, 330-346.

Powell, W. R. (1966). Classroom libraries: Their frequency of use. Elementary English, 45, 395-397.

Spiegel, D. L. (1981). Reading for pleasure: Guidelines. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Teale, W., & Sulzby, E. (Eds.). (1986). Emergent literacy: Writing and reading. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Templeton, S. (1986). Literacy, readiness and basais. The Reading Teacher, 39, 403-409.

Whitehead, F., Capey, A. C., & Maddren, W. (1975). Children's reading interests. London: Evans &

Methuen.

Yarington, D. (1978). The great American reading machine. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden Book.

BIOGRAPHYLesley Mandel Morrow is an associate professor and the coordinator of the EarlyChildhood/Elementary Graduate Programs at Rutgers University. Her research interest isearly childhood literacy development with a specific emphasis on the promotion ofvoluntary reading.

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