1) FIRST
In the first instance the book must be
attractive to look at and make the pupil want to pick it up and use it. The cover should be attractive and indicate
clearly the subject and level. The
information on the cover should be concise and offer a clear indication of the
content and aims of the book. The cover
should be strong and durable enough for rigorous use. The inside of the book should be attractive
and appealing. It should make people
want to read and use it.
To achieve this:
· The
type size and face and the language level should be appropriate for the age of
the reader
· The
design of the page should help to make the content clear and easy to
follow. There should be clear headings
and good letter, word and line spacing throughout
·
The
book should have a clearly presented contents page, where appropriate, an index
· The
paper should be a quality and weight that doesn’t allow the text and
illustrations to show through on the reverse side making it difficult to read
· Pupils/students
book, in particular, should be well illustrated with lively, good quality
artwork/photographs/diagrams that stimulate interest in the subject matter
·
The
standard of both writing and editing should be high
2)
CONTENT – Text
The content should be organized in a
clear and logical way, so pupils can find their way through the material
without difficulty. It should conform
to, and cover at least 80% of, the relevant syllabus. Topics should be covered in adequate detail
and, where appropriate, go beyond the requirements of the syllabus.
All information and statistics should
be up-to-date and accurate. There should
be a balance between urban and rural references as well as a sensitive approach
to gender and culture.
Instructions and rubrics should be
clear, and (if they are to be used by the pupils) at an appropriate language
level.
New terminology should be explained
either where it appears in the text (for example in science and maths books)
and/or in a glossy (for example, in some social studies books).
Illustrations
Diagrams should be clear and
functional, accurately labeled, and positioned so they are relevant and of
maximum support to the text.
Illustrations and paragraphs should be
high quality and their content should stimulate and interest the pupils. They should be culturally, gender sensitive
and relevant to the text. In some subjects,
such as science, illustrations can be used to extend understanding and
application of the subject matter. The
number of illustrations should be sufficient to adequately support the text.
3) TEACHING APPROACH
The effect of the course books can be
enhanced by child-centred activity learning.
The activities and exercises should be practical, appropriate and
interesting for children. It is
important that these books are supported by teacher’s books which give the
teacher clear and comprehensive guidance on how to use and obtain the maximum
value from them.
Other points to look for in good
teacher’s books are:
· Clear
links (headings, page references etc) to the relevant pupils’ book, so that the
book is quick and easy to use
· Guidance
on classroom organization for different types of lessons, such as practical
activities, discussions etc
· Suggestions
for activities to extend brighter pupils and to give practice and support for
those less able
·
Guidance
on assessment
·
Suggestions
for cross-curricular links
·
The
inclusion, where appropriate, of test and examination questions
· Answers
to exercise/appendix/reference material(particularly in science and technology
books
4) COURSE COMPONENTS AND SUPPORT MATERIALS
Where a book is part of a course it is
important that the complete course contains the appropriate number of levels
and course components (pupils books, teacher’ guides, workbooks, copybooks, CDs
etc) to cover in full the requirements of the syllabus. A concise outline of components should be
given on the back cover of all books relevant to the course.
Non-course materials, such as readers
series, should cover a number of levels and have teacher back-up materials.
Make sure that you have available:
· Example
of books to demonstrate each point, For example, books with suitable and
unsuitable type size; good page design and bad page design; good covers and bad
covers; good illustrations and bad illustrations etc (Use examples of both Moran
Publishers and non Moran Publishers books)
· Books
(Moran Publishers!) which show examples of local references, up-to-date
statistics, gender sensitivity, cross-curricular links etc
· Teacher’s
guide for a range of subjects available to demonstrate the important features
to look for
·
A
complete course to show the various components
· Examples
of different levels from series of readers available, together with their
teacher support material
