WHY TEACHERS SHOULD USE MATERIALS IN TEACHING?

Teaching materials is a generic term used to describe the resources teachers use to deliver
instruction. Teaching materials can support student learning and increase student success. Ideally,
the teaching materials will be tailored to the content in which they're being used, to the students
in whose class they are being used, and the teacher. Teaching materials come in many shapes and
sizes, but they all have in common the ability to support student learning.

Materials are important because they can significantly increase student achievement by
supporting student learning. For example, a worksheet may provide a student with important
opportunities to practice a new skill gained in class. This process aids in the learning process by
allowing the student to explore the knowledge independently as well as providing repetition.

The Role of Teaching Materials in Supporting Students Learning

1. Supplement in verbal instructions.

2. Teaching aids makes learning permanent.
3. Teaching aids provide variety.
4. Teaching aids are helpful in attracting attention of the students.
5. Teaching aids saves time and energy.
6. Teaching aids encourages the healthy classroom interaction.
7. Teaching aids helps the teacher to create situations for teaching the beginners.
8. Teaching aids are helpful in creating positive environment for discipline
9. Teaching aids are helpful in meeting individual differences.
10. Teaching aids helps in providing speech training to the pupils.
11. Teaching aids enable the children to retain language items for a longer time.
12. Teaching aids gives vividness to the learning situation.
13. Teaching aids makes the abstract ideas concrete and thus help in making learning more
effective.
14. Teaching aids provide good substitutes for the real objects as they make learning equally
meaningful.
15. Teaching aids help in the development of various skills such as, how to draw a diagram
of the topic among the students.

EXPERIENCE OF USING MATERIALS IN THE CLASSROOM.

 One of the effective materials that I have used in my classroom is song. Songs are one of
the most enchanting and culturally rich resources that can easily be used in language classrooms.
They are precious resources to develop students abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. They can also be used to teach a variety of language items such as sentence patterns,
vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs (Saricoban & Metin, 2000).

BENEFITS OF USING SONGS

Authentic English They are Active!

They have lots of vocabulary! They are adaptable to needs.

They transmit culture. They are short/condensed.

 They are social Phonemic Awareness

They are repetitive. They are up to date

They are adaptable & obtainable. Students love them!

 Personally, I have used songs for two main purposes. One of it is to teach grammar
aspects such as tenses, adjectives and similes. For example, I have used Lenkas Everything at
Once Song to teach similes.

As sly as a fox, as strong as an ox

As fast as a hare, as brave as a
bear
As free as a bird, as neat as a word
As quiet as a mouse, as big as a
house

All I wanna be, all I wanna be, oh

All I wanna be is everything
Part of the lyrics

During the activity, the pupils were given a worksheet in which the adjectives were
blanked out. They listened to the song and completed the lyrics with teachers guidance. Based
on my observation, the pupils were engaged to the grammar lesson. The song is very exciting
and easily created an element of fun in the teaching and learning process They have repeatedly
referring to the song throughout the lesson in order to complete all the exercises given. Using the
song captured students attention and ensured their involvement and participation in the teaching
and learning process. Besides that, Katy Perrys Roar can be used to teach past tenses and Lemon
Tree Song can be used to teach past continuous tenses.

Not only that, song can be used to introduce the content of the lesson. For example, I
have used Food Pyramid song by Marilyn M. Linford.

There are five food groups on the

food pyramid
That I should choose from each day.
Vegetables, grain, meat, dairy and
fruit
Will help my body work and play.
Each food group supplies needed
nutrients
To help my body to grow.
The fats and oils use sparingly,
Part of the lyrics
 This song talks about food groups on the food pyramid. This song actually provided a
creative way for students to learn the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as
provided students with the opportunity to connect school learning with life at home. The students
were able to connect the song with the content of the lesson as well as with their daily life.