The Importance of Learning Materials in Teaching

Have you wondered how much exactly teaching materials are important both for teachers and learners, namely children? If you aren’t, just imagine how would have your education looked like if you lacked proper teaching materials, like notebooks, pencils, pens, etc.

They include software, drawing, video, texts, pictures, and other aids that help teachers realize the curriculum created before the start of the school year. Basically, everything you can find inside a typical classroom is some sort of learning material, from the blackboard to the crayons children use to draw with during recess.

The level of students’ motivation

We all know a bad teacher when new see one but the difference between an average teacher and a great one is harder to draw. Essentially if there is one trait that is the ticket to teachers’ stardom, then that’s the ability to motivate students.

A teacher that holds his or her class by standing in front of the class endlessly droning about a boring topic can never become a great educator. Even if they had something interesting to teach, the lack of teaching aids would still make getting them message across hard.

This is where teaching props come into play, directly influencing the level of students’ motivation. If the kids are given a task and some learning materials, then they’ll find it easier to learn the lesson that day. For instance, talking about the importance of recycling and making the children make a recycle bin are two completely different approaches to teaching.

Promoting critical and creative thinking

When children play with toys, especially ones like LEGOs, they aren’t wasting time. During playtime, they develop the creative side of their brains, which is essential for critical thinking. Learning tools help promote brain development so teachers should let children use the teaching materials any way they see fit. In fact, children often find novel uses for ordinary, everyday objects.

Just give them a plastic cup and a pair of scissors and see them work their magic. It might seem like a child’s play now but when they grow up their fight for love or labor rights might depend on the learning materials they were given as children.

Customizing learning resources

Whether you are a child in kindergarten or a professional in vocational training, you want the teaching resources you are provided with to be as persona las possible. Ideally, learning material should be created for each learner accosting to their skills and preferences.

In the age of information, this is made possible using modern technology, namely online web platforms. For instance, RTO learning resources are not only available online but they’re also fully editable. Digital training materials are available for easy modification, contextualization, and distribution to candidates and students.

Learning on your own

Another advantage of online learning materials is that they are available at your personal imputer when you come back from class. This means that you will have to learn to use these materials on your own, which implies promoting self-confidence. Furthermore, you are learning how to learn, which a skill that will come in handy in later life.

Not learning for the exam

School systems, as well as professional training, rely heavily on exams to the students’ knowledge. In this sense, tests aren’t learning materials because they relativize the knowledge and skills students possess. This means that practical teaching becomes secondary to practicing for the test.

Contextual learning

The reason why learning materials help motivate students is the fact they provide them with a context in which they can use their knowledge. This gives pupils a sense of purposefulness that teachers desperately seek in their classes. In other words, teaching materials can answer the question "why," which teachers have a hard time explaining orally.

For instance, if you are teaching the structure of a letter, have students write a letter to a peer and actually mail it. Once they get a response they can read it out loud in class, which will not only make them proud but demonstrate that learning the tedious essay structure has an application in the real world. In this case, an empty sheet of paper is a learning material that opens a whole new world for the students.

Now that you understand the full importance of learning materials in teaching, you are ready to use them to a greater extent. Remember, these materials don’t have to be elaborate nor expensive but they need to motivate the students to be creative.