Beginning Reading Materials: A National Survey of Primary Teachers' Reported Uses and Beliefs

Abstract

This study examined the opinions of more than 300 primary teachers. The first purpose of the study was to investigate the reported frequency with which teachers used various beginning reading materials (e.g., literature, basals, workbooks, predictable text, leveled text, decodable text, and vocabulary-controlled text). The second purpose of the study was to inspect how instructional purposes, state text policies, programs, grade levels, and freedom of choice influenced reported uses. The results suggested that teachers of beginning readers use many different types of materials and are guided primarily by instructional purposes rather than programs or grade levels. Teachers reported using decodable text and literature for very particular instructional purposes but reportedly used other materials less specifically. Respondents in states with strong text mandates, like Texas and California, did differ from respondents in other states. In sum, the results suggested that teachers believed that different materials can serve different purposes with different readers.