When given the choice between Fiction and Nonfiction, Nonfiction is normally pushed to the side in most English classrooms when it actually could be utilized in a successful way that would promote student learning and peak student interest! There are many reasons as to why a teacher should teach the text of Nonfiction in their English classroom. For one, as reading and literature should be used throughout all subjects in schools, Nonfiction allows for a great way to do this by showcasing the connection between literature and other academic concentrations such as science, social studies, math, and art. As reading is generally not geared toward the male population, bringing Nonfiction into the classroom for the sake of our male students is another huge reason as to why we should incorporate this type of text; boys love Nonfiction and it acts as a great motivator that gets boys interested in reading. Besides the fact that Nonfiction has actually been found to be what 90% of students read after leaving high school, Nonfiction allows for a positive change in the classroom to occur. This type of text changes how information is taught and adds a whole new grouping of genres to the mix, with some examples being memoirs, biographies, historical literature, essays, and diagrams. Nonfiction also generates a rich vocabulary and provokes and challenges readers to view multiple perspectives to an issue or topic, a trait that students should have implemented for their reading, but also for their perspective on life as a whole.
There are many ways that Nonfiction can be used to maximize student learning. For one, if you are reading a fiction novel in class or learning about a specific event, time period, or group of people, you can use Nonfiction to better paint a picture and get the students more interested in the topic or the other novel you are teaching. A prime example that would allow this to occur is if you were teaching the Dustbowl, you could use a reference novel that also includes images of the even,t such as Martin W. Sandler’s The Dust through the Lens. By integrating this Nonfiction text into your teaching, you enhance student learning and understanding of a topic that may be hard for your students to grasp, especially because the students did not live through it. Additionally, Nonfiction can be used to maximize learning as it tends to be a type of text that eases the pathway for struggling readers. Struggling readers tend to have more of a desire to read and learn about real life concepts, topics, and ideas that they have already built an interest in and/or have experienced; just a topic and focus itself creates excitement in our struggling readers. As mentioned above, due to Nonfiction’s rich vocabulary, this also maximizes student learning by allowing students not only an experience to build this vocabulary, but to actually see such words used in context. Although these are only a few of the surplus amount of reasons to use Nonfiction text in your classroom, these reasons alone speak highly and demonstrate the notion that by bringing this type of text into the classroom, you are not only accommodating all students including those who struggle with reading and have a hard time finding enjoyment in reading, but you are also creating a rich classroom environment that showcases to your students the connections between their learning and the real world.
*Many of these ideas came from Chapter 9 in Milner & Milner’s Bridging English. For more details on the reasons listed above, please refer to this wonderful resource!*
When given the choice between Fiction and Nonfiction, Nonfiction is normally pushed to the side in most English classrooms when it actually could be utilized in a successful way that would promote student learning and peak student interest! There are many reasons as to why a teacher should teach the text of Nonfiction in their English classroom. For one, as reading and literature should be used throughout all subjects in schools, Nonfiction allows for a great way to do this by showcasing the connection between literature and other academic concentrations such as science, social studies, math, and art. As reading is generally not geared toward the male population, bringing Nonfiction into the classroom for the sake of our male students is another huge reason as to why we should incorporate this type of text; boys love Nonfiction and it acts as a great motivator that gets boys interested in reading. Besides the fact that Nonfiction has actually been found to be what 90% of students read after leaving high school, Nonfiction allows for a positive change in the classroom to occur. This type of text changes how information is taught and adds a whole new grouping of genres to the mix, with some examples being memoirs, biographies, historical literature, essays, and diagrams. Nonfiction also generates a rich vocabulary and provokes and challenges readers to view multiple perspectives to an issue or topic, a trait that students should have implemented for their reading, but also for their perspective on life as a whole.
There are many ways that Nonfiction can be used to maximize student learning. For one, if you are reading a fiction novel in class or learning about a specific event, time period, or group of people, you can use Nonfiction to better paint a picture and get the students more interested in the topic or the other novel you are teaching. A prime example that would allow this to occur is if you were teaching the Dustbowl, you could use a reference novel that also includes images of the even,t such as Martin W. Sandler’s The Dust through the Lens. By integrating this Nonfiction text into your teaching, you enhance student learning and understanding of a topic that may be hard for your students to grasp, especially because the students did not live through it. Additionally, Nonfiction can be used to maximize learning as it tends to be a type of text that eases the pathway for struggling readers. Struggling readers tend to have more of a desire to read and learn about real life concepts, topics, and ideas that they have already built an interest in and/or have experienced; just a topic and focus itself creates excitement in our struggling readers. As mentioned above, due to Nonfiction’s rich vocabulary, this also maximizes student learning by allowing students not only an experience to build this vocabulary, but to actually see such words used in context. Although these are only a few of the surplus amount of reasons to use Nonfiction text in your classroom, these reasons alone speak highly and demonstrate the notion that by bringing this type of text into the classroom, you are not only accommodating all students including those who struggle with reading and have a hard time finding enjoyment in reading, but you are also creating a rich classroom environment that showcases to your students the connections between their learning and the real world.
*Many of these ideas came from Chapter 9 in Milner & Milner’s Bridging English. For more details on the reasons listed above, please refer to this wonderful resource!*