Never Fear Non-Fiction: Two Secrets to Success

Today I'd like to take a break from my "mini-series" on Family Communication/Connections. My love for this topic has not faded (never fear!) but like all other things, taking a break is important, even from something you enjoy. The best part? I get to talk about something else that energizes me... non-fiction texts!

I recently had a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with an editor for a parent article for Scholastic. Since the link is long, I will put it at the end of my post and in my links! Not only is this a great article for families to read, but it's also beneficial for early educators (1-3) years. Not many teacher preparation programs focus on certain elements of literacy (which could be a whole mini-series in itself!) that teachers use, focus on, and incorporate everyday. 

Non-fiction, in my humble opinion, is still the harder of the two  main genres (fiction and non-fiction) to teach, and for students to develop comprehension skills for. In the article I elaborate on teaching text-and-graphic features, and how this is crucial to our practice in early elementary grades. These features appear in non-fiction texts (some in fiction as well,) whether we realize it or not. (Insert laughter here____) I very often see adults reading that skip over subheadings, captions, and do not know that an ellipses mark means either text was removed, or the idea continues (again this could be a whole separate post!). Much can be attributed to their lack of understanding or even misinterpretation of a text because they did not employ text-and-graphic features to assist them. When teachers include study of this in early grades, students can "train their brain" to tie these features in with the main text. Personally, I always wondered how anyone could omit them as if not on the page to begin with. Perhaps it's because as a vehement reader I needed to read every word on every page, so I always paused to read and observe the features. 

Teacher Tip: Model how to identify the features, discuss their purpose, and during interactive read-aloud's, do a "think-aloud" how they help you understand the text. This shows younger students strategies how and even when to notice them. Give students options to look before, during, and after reading the main text on the page(s). A simple Google search can take you further into your study of examples of these features if you're not familiar with them. 
When young readers are able to understand the different parts of a non-fiction book and use them to understand the topic, naturally their comprehension will expand. To have their minds lift off, encourage them to write or draw features they noticed while reading and what the feature showed, told. etc. 

I remember when speaking about non-fiction to the editor, one of my favorite questions was what families can do help their students want to read non-fiction more often. My suggestion focused on student choice. Families should always check with their child's teacher what books he/she is using in class for read aloud's during a non-fiction unit, as well as what books their child is selecting to read independently in class. 

Teacher tip: Have students browse books through library catalogs, Scholastic Book Club flyers, etc. to get an idea of what topics they like, and share that information with families. Take notice of what books they select to read on their own from the classroom library. 

Families should also let their child/children select a topic/text on their own. It's proven through research that when a child can select what he or she wishes to read, they will comprehend the book better, and have more engaged reading with the text. This is key with reading in general, but I have found during my years in the classroom that it's especially true with non-fiction. 

For teachers and families it's important to have young readers grasp the concepts early, since most reading we tackle in life falls under that genre. Even if a student does not enjoy it as much as fiction, it's our job to give them the tools they need to understand and comprehend. When they do, confidence builds... which is the secret to success for non-fiction (and reading in general!)

Final Thought- keep reading, it will inspire your students/children, keep learning, keep reaching for your goals, and lastly, keep up your self-confidence always.... 



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