Parent's question
Are there textbook aids that will offer my child extra help?
Our answer
Schools are now tapping into textbooks that provide students with additional help for their studies. Some have CD recordings of the material; you can download these to a computer so your child can read the material as he listens to it being read. It can even be downloaded to an iPod as an MP3. This is very helpful for weak readers who aren't comfortable reading textbooks above their reading level. Some textbooks are also linked to a companion website.
If you look in the front of your children's textbooks, you may find a section that lists aids that can be purchased, too. This may include extra quizzes, exercises, workbooks and, again, CDs. Also, some books list helpful websites or other beneficial resources.
In addition, most textbooks now have available for teachers extra materials for special-needs children – gifted, learning-disabled and English as a Second Language. These supplemental items present the textbook material in the way these students need.
Don't ignore the extra aids that are already in your children's textbooks, too. Students often find running glossaries, chapter-review exercises, boldfaced terms, discussion questions and self-tests quite helpful.
