Balance between “real books” and published teaching materials

It is of great importance that children at all stages read and learn from what have become known as “real books” (both fiction and non-fiction). However, this principle has been taken by some theorists to imply that structured materials produced by educational publishers are inevitably “unreal” and harmful.

In fact, there is no reason why the use of “real books” should in any way preclude the parallel use of material which has been specifically designed to aid children’s reading/language development.

As stated in (2) above, different pupils require different approaches, and for many “real books” will not be enough. And the development of children’s awareness about language (3) requires, like many other areas of the primary curriculum, a degree of structured teaching. While some teachers may be able to produce structured material for themselves, it is unfair to expect all teachers to do so in all subjects.

Much published material exists which has been based on established research findings and good classroom practice: as with “real books” teachers should be trusted to distinguish the good from the bad amid this material, and choose what is appropriate for their pupils' needs.

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