Non-Fiction
Helping your Student Understand
When to Teach about Non-Fiction
Teaching about non-fiction should be done at the same time as other genres and as early as possible. The non-fiction genre has an abundance of information to offer to students in content related areas and often helps gain their interest. Students should learn about the possibilities of non-fiction text and how it can help with other subject areas.
How to Teach about Non-fiction Comprehension Strategies
In order to successfully teach about non-fiction comprehension strategies you must:
- Teach and model the strategies in use with a non-fiction text, this way they are sure on how to use it.
- Let the students try to use the strategy with assistance from the teacher when necessary
- Allow the students to use the strategy on their own
This model of teaching was retrieved from:
Palmer, R. G., & Stewart, R. A., (2005). Models for using nonfiction in the primary grades, The Reading Teacher, 58(5), 426-434. doi: 10.1598/RT.58.5.2
Tips for helping your student with non-fiction texts
- Have a variety of texts readily available for your student
- Encourage the interest of your student in all types of texts
- Ask questions about what your student is reading and allow them to ask you questions.
- Allow your student to research any topic of interest they may have.
- Read with your student in order to model the way you think when reading.
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