Apparently, textbooks still profoundly influence teachers' behavior and what students have an opportunity to learn in schools. Textbook content may be substantially influenced by seven conglomerate-owned publishing companies earning 57 percent of textbook revenue and by two states (Florida and Texas) with policies mandating statewide use of a selected set of texts. A study of 10 kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms found that (1) teachers used textbook guides and accompanying materials extensively; (2) classroom material was taught by lecture/recitation, reading aloud and answering questions, and extensive practice in workbooks and on dittoes; (3) students viewed work as a series of things to complete; (4) teachers seemed to view the curriculum as a series of pages to cover; (5) various factors accounted for the extensive use of texts; and (6) the curriculum was organized by subjects, with text materials supporting this approach. Most curricular materials encouraged passivity and convergent thinking, requiring students to "fill-in-the-blanks." Across grade levels, students' responses to the textbook-centered environment frequently took the form of social games and individual diversions. Some students were aware that the "hidden" reason for doing a worksheet was to give the teacher time to grade papers or prepare for an upcoming lesson. Textbooks themselves may not be the source of students' boredom; the ultimate cause may reside in mainstream American cultural beliefs. (RH)