In addition, a few minutes spent reading interesting expository writing to children in relation to instructional units, specific lessons, etc. can motivate independent reading, build vocabulary, and strengthen the child's understanding of how expository text communicates information. Use tradebooks to supplement textbooks. Tradebooks often provide well-written, interesting selections with beautiful photographs and illustrations. These selections can reinforce and enrich the students' understanding of the content beyond what a textbook can provide. Use tradebooks instead of textbooks.
Many teachers use class sets of children's fiction to teach reading and writing.
Consider purchasing class sets of well-written expository tradebooks to use in relation to science, social studies, health, and mathematics instruction. Implement research groups. Provide or help children obtain resources to use in researching topics and questions. These resources can include their textbook, tradebooks, encyclopedias, and children's magazines. An ocean animal unit could have separate groups researching, for example, the killer whale, dolphin, shark, octopus, seahorse, jellyfish, stingray, and squid.