The Learner Teacher Support Material (LTSM) act as a bridge between a learner and reality, LTSM provides an essential teaching tools and materials required and it is a central process for effective learning experience for learners.

Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) means a variety of learning and teaching materials used in classroom. LTSM range created resources to commercially produced classroom recourses .The materials must present the main content, concept and skills and support the instructional objectives for the specific subject.
Learners and teachers have to be provided with the wide variety of recourses exposing learners to diverse ideas, experience and opinions. Leaners must be supported in the acquisition of information literacy skills, to access, process and use information resources in various formats. Teaching materials can refer to a number of teachers resources it refers to concrete examples such as worksheets or learning tools that student can handle to help them gain and practice facility that can expose them to reality.
The learning support materials are an important part of curriculum development and means of promoting both good teaching and learning. Books, e-books, workbooks, readers and teacher guides, purchased with government funds, produced through different processes or donated to a school constitute the property of the State, not with standing exceptions such as in the case of consumable material e.g. Workbooks and learner’s stationery.
The effective retention of LTSM in the school system is an essential component of LTSM provision, to ensure that all learners have access to the required learning material. This requires an effective retrieval system and guidelines for maintenance. To ensure material in book form is retained in usable form for as long as possible, to minimum of five years.
Learner Teacher Support Material there are many types that the teacher can use to enhance the learning and also get learners attention and make them understand better and also gain the knowledge needed. Teachers can also use types of media to demonstrate.
Assessments and other activities are also type of support material used to bridge between Teaching and Learning, as learners apply their knowledge and application, the teacher get to assess and check the learners mistake and suggest approaches and methods to make them understand. Extensive assessment opportunities, group, peers and individual assessment help learners to engage.
Departmental officials, school managers and other stakeholders in the LTSM sector must ensure the effective use of State funds and State property. All stakeholders must ensure that sound management processes are in place to manage the use of LTSM by teachers and learners, both at school and at home. A National Catalogue of Core LTSM issued by the DBE will list the approved material selected from open submissions or from other sources. Other essential LTSM such as Science, Technology, Mathematics, Biology apparatus, electronic equipment, and other school equipment will be procured by provincial departments of education, schools.
There are variety types of LTSM, the e-LTSM is a book composed in or converted to digital format for display on a computer screen or handheld device. Core LTSM – refers to the category of LTSM that is central to teaching the entire curriculum of a subject for a Grade. Generally, this would comprise a textbook/learner book, workbook and teacher guide. For the Foundation and Intermediate Phases, this includes graded readers. In the Intermediate Phase, this includes a core reader for the teaching of literature. In the Senior Phase this includes a core reader and a novel for the teaching of literature. For Further Education and Training this includes set works.
Classroom Resources refers to material used in the classroom by the teacher and/or learners to aid learning and teaching. Examples include wall charts, alphabet friezes, and flashcards. Teacher guide refers to a publication of systematically organized material, comprehensive enough to enable the teacher to cover the primary objectives outlined in the curriculum of a particular subject for the entire grade. It would include an exposition of the curriculum content in a pedagogically sound manner, which includes information and background on the content to be taught, learner activities and assessments.
Learner Book/textbook refers to a publication of systematically organized activities and information and background on the content to be taught, comprehensive enough to cover the primary objectives outlined in the curriculum of a particular subject for the entire grade. Unlike a workbook, learners would not complete the activities in the publication but would record their answers in an exercise book or other additional resource. For the purposes of this policy, Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) is used as contemplated in Section 21 of the South African Schools Act 1996 (No. 84 of 1996) to include: Stationery and supplies; Learning material; Teaching aids; and Science, Technology, Mathematics and Biology apparatus