摘要：The selection of basal reading materials reflects crucial decisions made periodically by most school districts in our country. Considering that approximately 20 million students are enrolled in public school grades 1-6 in the United States , it is not difficult to understand why the selection of basal materials receives such considerable attention. In this vast market the publishers of basal programs compete for high stakes, and the selection process is important to the adopting district from both an educational and economic perspective. Yet selection committees often undertake the decision-making process without adequately assessing all the ramifications of their choices. On the surface the task is to choose the "best" books, but to do this numerous issues must be considered. The publishers' presentations must be critically reviewed. Problems of ordering and warehousing materials must be solved. Pupil placement, instructional management, and pupil progress must also be examined in light of the materials chosen. These issues present problems in any adoption, but when more than one basal is adopted the problems are often compounded. The purpose of this article is to acquaint teachers, administrators, and parents with the unique problems to be dealt with when adopting two or more basal programs, and to suggest potential solutions to these problems.
