In an article published in a recent issue of the Elementary School Journal, Dr. Charles H. Judd, of the University of Chicago, makes the following statement. "Every textbook, whatever its source, has characteristics which can be accurately tabulated and described.'" Interest in the subject appears to be widespread and various attempts have been made to analyze some of the textbooks in common use. Although this interest has not been confined to school readers it appears fitting that readers be

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... rst to receive attention. Mr. Whitney, then of Minneapolis, analyzed the vocabularies of nine first readers,2 Superintendent Housh performed a like service for ten second readers,3 and Mr. Vinal has recently surveyed and rather caustically criticized the contents of some thirty first readers.4 At the suggestion and with the helpful co-operation of Dr. Clifford E. Woody, of the University of Washington, the writer has undertaken an analysis and classification of the contents of fifteen second-grade readers. It is hoped that as a result of the studies mentioned and others now being prepared a standard for the measurement of school readers may eventually be forthcoming. In the writer's analysis six phases of the situation have been quite carefully canvassed. These are: (1) general characteristics; (2) space devoted to literature and to illustrations; (3) forms of 1 CHARLES HDUPLICATION OF READING MATERIAL 703 literature; (4) types of literature; (5) classification of selections; (6) duplication of subject-matter. As the last-named phase is considered by many as the most important, the present article deals with the overlapping of material in the fifteen readers studied. These books are from well-known and widely used series and while some have been discarded after trial in various places, they are, nevertheless, considered typical of readers used in all parts of the country.