Choosing Instructional Materials

In my opinion, every teacher should have a classroom library. The availability of books in the classroom can be an extreme asset to student's learning. I want to be a PE teacher, but that does not mean I cannot have a section with health-related books, magazines, sports articles, or biographies located in my gym. When choosing what text to use, it is important to choose from a variety of texts, have different reading levels, interests, and genres. I want to accommodate for all my students. It is also important for me to know who my audience is, how reliable the information I am giving them is, and if it is interesting to my students. When analyzing for materials it is important to check for quality and the grade equivalent. The quality of a text is defined by the usability of the text, if students will understand it, and find it appealing. A student should encounter one to two new words per page when reading something to obtain the appropriate vocabulary load. The text should activate the student's schema and keep them thinking after they have finished reading. Check for the main ideas and the details of a text. The text should apply to what is being taught in the class. I also want to analyze what my students will be taking away from the article. I want to know how it has improved their learning.