A non-consumable series of comprehension tests, these reprints of the original 1927 work were last updated in 1961. Replacement dummied down versions that bear the same name are also on the market. The distinguishing mark is the copyright date.

This is an excellent tool for improving reading comprehension. Students are given three minutes to read a short selection and answer multiple choice questions. The topics are interesting and varied. The questions have been carefully constructed to test all the key skills in understanding what we read such as: detecting the sequence, getting the main idea, identifying facts, and making inferences. Each lesson is normed by ability level. The teacher can quickly see how well the student comprehends in relationship to his grade level. The student does not need to know their grade-level standing, but it is helpful for the teacher to have this benchmark of progress.

Doing three selections a week is fast and effective. Students who are unable to finish within the three-minute time period may change the color of their pencil and complete answering the questions. Only the answers done in three minutes count toward their score, but they reap the benefits of completing the assignment. Discussing missed questions with the students or having them correct questions they missed trains them to start looking for certain things as they read. An added bonus is elevated test scores which are an important pathway to college scholarships.

In summary, this invaluable tool will help you: evaluate reading ability, teach comprehension techniques, chart individual student progress, and improve standardized test scores. The book can be used again and again because each student writes his answers on a separate piece of paper (a master form for answers can be photocopied from the answer key). Home educators can pass this hardback-bound book on to the next generation. Schools will get many years of use out of a set ordered for one classroom and then rotated, according to a schedule, among the other classes.

This single volume combines five years of reading selections, 78 lessons per volume. The reading range covers from first grade to post-graduate levels. Each book in the volume may be used through a range of grade levels. For example:

McCall-Crabbs Book A 1st graders, Average 2nd graders, Less able 3rd graders
McCall-Crabbs Book B Average 3rd graders, Less able 4th graders
McCall-Crabbs Book C Average 4th graders, Less able 5th graders
McCall-Crabbs Book D Average 5th graders, Less able 6th graders
McCall-Crabbs Book E Average 6th graders, Less able 7th graders

The McCall-Crabbs Guide and Answer Key (which must be ordered separately) contains the following:

• Description of the Book’s Contents
• Directions for Using the Standard Test Lessons
• Answer Keys for Books A-E
• Index to Reading Selection Difficulty
• Student McCall-Crabbs Record Blank
• Chart for Measuring Reading Ability by Chronological Age