- 1). Tell your students why you selected the book. This gives students an overview of what they're going to be learning in the course as well as letting them know what kinds of information they need to be looking for as they begin looking through the book.
- 2). Let them know how you plan on using the book. For example, if you plan on referring to the book quite a bit during the course of your lectures, this tells the students they definitely want to purchase the book if the course is college level and requires the textbook. Additionally, this information is important for students of all ages from grade school on up to college level, because it gives them an idea about what information you personally feel is important, which helps them weed out the information that won't be as important in your class.
- 3). Go over the covers and the inside jacket. This counts as the first step in helping the students see the patterns of information they'll find throughout the book.
- 4). Bring them into the textbook gradually by talking about the headings and headlines, chapters and the subheads within the chapters throughout the book. Ask them what they notice about the headings and what it tells that about the information that's coming underneath the headings.
- 5). Teach them how to find additional information in the sidebars. The sidebars usually highlight a concept that's introduced in the pages or gives an additional bit of information they might use to get their thinking moving in a more specific direction.
- 6). Show them the types of exercises you plan on using in the book. If you've found after reviewing the textbook that there are some exercises particularly helpful in the learning process, let the students know what they are. You may not use all of them, so let them know the kinds of exercises from which you'll steer clear.
- 7). Have them study the pictures and illustrations in the book. Visual clues offer additional information that words alone don't always convey. This holds true in particular in subjects like foreign language learning and art. A picture provides a visual anchor onto which a student can attach meaning or learn a concept that she might not without the picture, such as what a certain technique in art looks like.
- 8). Talk about any accompanying media like CDs or websites. If you're planning on using these resources, let the students know that as well; they can be forgotten because they're not a part of the main textbook.