Reading Nonfiction
How to support your child when reading nonfiction.
Did you know?
Notice What Repeats to find the Main Idea
Remember, reading levels A-J (Kindergarten-First Grade) don't always have a main "idea". They have a main "topic". Using the word main idea for our younger readers may confuse them. Use these prompts to guide your discussion...
- What repeats on each page in the words?
- What repeats on each page in the pictures?
- What is this book mostly about?
- State the main topic.
- Look for what's the same.
- Put a finger on any words that are the same on these couple of pages.
- you found a repeating word! Now, what's the topic?
- (The Reading Strategies Book, Jennifer Serravallo, 2015)
Wonder and Question
Make the 2-D into 3-D
Nonfiction books contain many photographs, illustrations and diagrams to represent real things. Encourage your child to imagine the 2-D flat image as a 3-D real life thing. Encourage them to make it seem more real by adding in details from other senses. Read the words in the words in the caption and in the surrounding text to help your imagination.
Prompt your child:
- Read the caption. Now look at the picture. Describe what you see.
- Make it seem more real. Say what you see.
- What do you imagine, beyond just the flat picture?
- Use your senses.
- What else do you see?
- Use the caption and the rest of the page to say more.
- (The Reading Strategies Book, Jennifer Serravallo, 2015)
Jessica Warner
Email: jwarner@somervilleschools.org
Location: 51 Union Avenue, Somerville, NJ, USA
Phone: (908)218-4105
Twitter: @VDVReading
Notice What Repeats to find the Main Idea
Remember, reading levels A-J (Kindergarten-First Grade) don't always have a main "idea". They have a main "topic". Using the word main idea for our younger readers may confuse them. Use these prompts to guide your discussion...
- What repeats on each page in the words?
- What repeats on each page in the pictures?
- What is this book mostly about?
- State the main topic.
- Look for what's the same.
- Put a finger on any words that are the same on these couple of pages.
- you found a repeating word! Now, what's the topic?
- (The Reading Strategies Book, Jennifer Serravallo, 2015)
Wonder and Question
Make the 2-D into 3-D
Nonfiction books contain many photographs, illustrations and diagrams to represent real things. Encourage your child to imagine the 2-D flat image as a 3-D real life thing. Encourage them to make it seem more real by adding in details from other senses. Read the words in the words in the caption and in the surrounding text to help your imagination.
Prompt your child:
- Read the caption. Now look at the picture. Describe what you see.
- Make it seem more real. Say what you see.
- What do you imagine, beyond just the flat picture?
- Use your senses.
- What else do you see?
- Use the caption and the rest of the page to say more.
- (The Reading Strategies Book, Jennifer Serravallo, 2015)