Ms. Stotsky shows how reading instruction has fallen prey to multicultural fashion at a staggering cost to children. The multiculturalists seem to be aware of the importance of basal readers, if not the reasons for their importance. Over the past thirty years, they have pushed for revisions motivated by a belief that underperforming students need to feel self-esteem before they can succeed academically. Ms. Stotsky uses some clever measurements, such as the number of challenging words in glossaries over succeeding editions. Difficult vocabulary words are now introduced at a declining rate as a student advances through the grades.
Basal readers are less challenging in just about every other way too.
Sentence structure and grammar have been dumbed down. The content of the readers is distressing as well. The teacher guides that accompany the texts pound the point home. Both students and teachers have participated in relationships of domination, submission, oppression, and privilege which have helped to shape who they are and how they see the world. We gotta dance .