Education Librarian / Ballenger Teachers Center (BTC) Coordinator
What is a Basal Reader?
A Basal Reader is a type of textbook that teaches reading skills in a specific order, assesses those skills, and provides coaching for those skills through several grade levels. Skills may be revisited many times with increasing complexity. This is also known as scaffolding.
So Where ARE the Basal Readers in the BTC?
Basal Readers are found in the shelves at the north end of the BTC (the end closest to the MLK Union). They are generally found at one of two call numbers:
LB 1573
PE 1119
Once you get to this area of the Ballenger Teachers Center and find either of those numbers, select a teacher's edition. These are the ones with a spiral binding. In most cases, each grade level will have between 6 and 8 units with each unit in a separate book. When you look inside the book, you may notice that the student edition of the Basal Reader is contained within the Teachers Edition. This is called a TWE or Teachers Wraparound Edition. Some of the texts may include Scope and Sequence charts in the teachers resource area at the end of the text, and newer textbook series will reference Common Core State Standards.
You may check out Basal Readers at the BTC desk or at the circulation desk on the south end of Booth Library.
LB 1573
PE 1119
Once you get to this area of the Ballenger Teachers Center and find either of those numbers, select a teacher's edition. These are the ones with a spiral binding. In most cases, each grade level will have between 6 and 8 units with each unit in a separate book. When you look inside the book, you may notice that the student edition of the Basal Reader is contained within the Teachers Edition. This is called a TWE or Teachers Wraparound Edition. Some of the texts may include Scope and Sequence charts in the teachers resource area at the end of the text, and newer textbook series will reference Common Core State Standards.
You may check out Basal Readers at the BTC desk or at the circulation desk on the south end of Booth Library.
Where is the BTC?
The Ballenger Teachers Center (BTC) is found in the northeast corner of Booth Library on the Main (3rd) Level.
