Content Texts Compared to Basal Readers: Basal readers have much narrative material; content texts tend to be expository. Content texts have a higher concept density and less familiar organizational structures than do basal readers, often making them harder to read.

Readability: Readability refers to the level of difficulty of printed text. Texts with high readability levels are more difficult than texts with low readability levels.

Alternatives to Exclusive Use of Content Texts: Supplementary trade books, videotapes, and information from Internet sites can provide teachers with alternatives to exclusive use of context texts.

Specific Content Areas: Special reading challenges are associated with each of the content areas. Skills and strategies for handling these challenges are best taught when they are needed to read assigned content material.

General Techniques for Content Area Reading: Many techniques can be used with any content area to improve reading comprehension and retention.