Basal Reading Programs

My very first impression of Basal Reading Programs were that these programs are absolutely ridiculous. I have looked through one of these programs and discovered that in order to teach using one of these, the teacher definitely does not need a four year degree in Education. At first, these programs seemed demeaning to me as a future teacher. Can I not think of my own questions? Must I be told what to ask my students? The programs are set up so that anyone can use this program to "teach" students how to read. However, after reading Tompkins, my opinion of the program has changed. So, now that I am done complaining about the program, I will move on to what I have learned.
The first and most important thing to remember is that a Basal Reading Program should not be the only reading program implemented in the classroom. One highlight of the program is that it gives teachers books that are grade-level appropriate, or where most students should be in terms of reading. However, students do not often fit with the grade-level they are in. Many are below, many are above, and some fit academically with the grade level. Teachers will need to provide different reading experiences for their students based on their needs. Students with a lower capacity to read will need books suited for their level of reading, as with those who are above the grade-level expectations for reading For students who are at grade-level in terms of reading, they should be provided with many types of books as well to help them to increase their experiences with different types of genres, writing styles, and to help increase their fluency. I do like how the Basal program offers instruction for teaching students the skills and strategies that are necessary to become fluent readers. These skills and strategies include predicting, questioning, and evaluating, all of which lead to a deeper understanding of what is being read.
The down side of Basal Reading Programs is that they have a set schedule to go by, when to read, what books to read. The whole program is very systematic. Students are NOT systematic. In order to make a program like this work in a real classroom, the teacher will need to incorporate it in a way that meets the needs of all of his or her students. The Basal Reading Program is probably something that I will use someday as part of the school curriculum, but I will make sure to be very cautious in the usage.

Until Next Time
*Lisa*