The Role of Supplemental Learning Materials (Readings and Media) in Aiding Comprehension

A few years ago I tutored a grade 10 student who was in regular English classes but didn’t grow up in Canada. His class was working on reading indigenous literature, and we read Dead White Writer on the Floor (for his class) which featured some stories about residential schools and various indigenous film characters. For additional homework, I asked him to watch parts of shows and films (I gave him YouTube clips or links to access this media) that featured the characters from the story. I also asked him to read a report about residential schools and the consequences of them. His teacher had provided him with readings already. I gave him more to consider, so that he’d appreciate the text further because knowing this information certainly made me appreciate the text more. 

It's a good idea when studying something for school to look outside of assignments and do additional research yourself. Read analyses, reviews, view media, and learn what you can about the subject matter, so that you have a better sense of how to respond to your teacher’s prompts. Going outside of your classroom materials will actually help you understand your teacher’s needs better.