Reading Program

* I read with interest the July 30 article on the Open Court reading program but didn’t see anything about research and evaluation. There is no sound research data supporting this program other than that done by the publisher, which might be biased. The Times would be doing the public a great service by investigating whether or not this program is all smoke and mirrors or has some deep substance.

You can’t teach comprehension by looking at isolated sounds. Take a look at the companion article on the Education page, about high school science and math books and how their attention to factlets doesn’t prepare students to understand the big issues in science.

ADRIENNE MACK, Teacher

Birmingham High School

Van Nuys