What Makes A Great Student Book?

There are several things that will make one student book stand out above others. A student book needs to not only address the issue for which it was written, but engage the student in a way that makes learning easy and fun. To this end the way the information is presented is just as important as the information itself.

Student books should be written in a way that is easy to read, with the important parts of the information broken up into blocks for easy assimilation.  Care should be taken that all learning styles are reflected in the way the student book is represented. Thus, use should be made of graphics, charts, text and activities.

The information should be presented in language that is appropriate for the reading level of the students it is intended for. Headings and subheadings should make is easy for the student to navigate and find what is needed. Blackline masters in Australia are presented in a way that enables students to make optimum use of the information in them.

Text and illustration need to be well balanced, so that one does not overshadow the other. All text throughout the book with illustrations in just the last few pages is not good balance. Having a certain number of illustrations per chapter is much better. Illustrations should be appropriate to the topic rather than decorative.

Plenty of white space should be included in the student book so that the student is not overwhelmed with constant reading. Colour is also an important part of presentation, though too much colour can be confusing.

All activities or assignments should be properly integrated with text that is relevant to them. Such activities should be aimed at enhancing specific skills such as problem solving, for both group and individual benefit. Instructions for activities should be clear and concise in both wording and layout. Using bullet points for instructions often makes them much easier to follow.

Finally, the student book should be sturdy, with no loose pages, and of course, printing should be clear and easy to read. Blackline Masters make excellent student books.