APPENDIX A: Textbook Checklist

Title
Author
Publisher
Date
Design and
Layout
Length
Contents
Additional
Resources
SelfDescription
Target Age
Context
Time Frame
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
All-Star 3 (ISBN 0-07-284679-8)
Linda Lee and Kristin Sherman (with Stephen Sloan, Grace Tanaka, and Shirley Velasco)
The McGraw-Hill Companies
2005
Soft-cover student textbook, bound (not notebook/spiral), 8.5x11
Four color, substantial illustrations and photos; adequate white space
190 pages, plus 21 pages of introductory material
Scope and Sequence; Teacher Overview and Explanation; Pre-unit plus 8 Units;
Appendices (Grammar Reference Guide, Audio Script, Vocabulary List, Glossary, Skills
Index, Authentic Materials, Map of the United States)
Also available: Student Workbook, Student Book with Audio Highlights, Teachers Edition
with Tests, Color Overhead Transparencies, Audiocassettes, Audio CDs; with new edition:
Student CD-ROM, online teacher supports
All-Star is a four-level series featuring a big picture approach to meeting adult standards
that systematically builds language and math skills around life-skill topics.
Adult
Community Focus
Adjustable: 70-100 hours; 100-140 hours; 140-180 hours
APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING

Overall Approach
Primary Focus: Form/Grammar
Primary Focus: Communicative Language
Primary Focus: Other (Specify:
Areas of Instruction primary focus:
Reading and Writing
Speaking and Listening
Integration of the Four Skills
Focus on Language Forms primarily:
Inductive
Deductive
Combination
Student Speech Production Activities tend to:
be more controlled, form-focused
be less controlled, meaning-focused
emphasize fluency
emphasize accuracy
Primary Outcome Development of
Academic skills
Workplace skills
Life-skills
Materials Authenticity
Authentic
Semi-authentic
Pedagogically prepared
Provision for learner input to support other students learning
Activities/Tasks
In the Real World
Real World Type
Pedagogical
1

x
)

x
x

x
x

x
x
x
x
x

8.

Used
Consistently

Types of Classroom Activities

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

h.
i.

Drills
Exercises
Activities Simple Task
More Complex, Creative Tasks
Projects
Group/Pair Discussion
Strategy Development
Metalinguistic Awareness
Reading and Writing Strategies
Metacognitive Strategies
Cognitive Strategies
Schemata activation
Use of visual assists/cues

Used
Often

Used
Occasionally

Used
Rarely
x

Not
Used

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Student Perspective
Applicable

9.

Accessibility
a. Learning goals and objectives
Textbook as a whole
Unit
Lesson
b. Grammar Resources
c. Vocabulary Resources
d. Online Supplements
10. Appropriateness
a. Cultural Awareness
b. Relation to Real-life Adult Challenges/Needs
c. Use of Learners Prior Knowledge

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Teacher Perspective
11. Syllabus Type
a. Grammatical
b. Lexical
c. Grammatical-Lexical
d. Situational
e. Functional-Notional
f. Procedural/Task-based
g. Thematic/Topical
h. Other (specify:
)
12. Appropriate Sequencing
13. Route through Material
Specified
User Determined
14. Flexibility/Adaptability
15. Guidance
16. Scaffolding
Within Whole Textbook
Within Unit
17. Unit Content
Cycle
Matrix
Combination
18. Link to Appropriate State/Other Standards

x
x
x
x
x
x
x

x
x

-Content adapted from Textbook Checklists in Grant (1987), Littlejohn (1998), Sheldon (1988), and Tucker
(1975), plus elements from Graves (2000) Chapters 7-8.
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