Filling a crucial need for K-6 teachers, this book provides practical strategies for using nonfiction trade books in language arts and content area instruction. Research-based, classroom-tested ideas are spelled out to help teachers: *Select from among the many wonderful nonfiction trade books available *Incorporate nonfiction into the classroom *Work with students to develop comprehension strategies for informational texts *Elicit responses to nonfiction through drama, writing, and discussion *Use nonfiction to promote content area learning and research skills Unique features of the book include teacher-created lesson plans, extensive lists of recommended books (including choices for reluctant readers), illustrative examples of student work, and suggestions for linking nonfiction reading to the use of the World Wide Web.

This book recognizes nonfiction text as a staple part of the literacy curriculum and advocates that educators include it in their daily practices. It offers innovative ideas on how these texts can be used to nurture literacy acquisition, growth, and fluency in and out of the classroom.

While learning how to locate, access, interpret, record, publish, and share information, students also consider ways to activate their voice and make their nonfiction writing clearer, more authoritative, and better organized. Designed around a consistent mix of explorationssome are extended units of study that engage primary writers in the complete writing process and others are targeted minilessons that expose students to various forms of nonfiction writingExplorations in Nonfiction Writing is easily adaptable and will support you whether you are integrating nonfiction writing into your established literacy block or developing a new nonfiction writing program that supports your entire academic curriculum.

Shows the different shapes of animals to be found in the ocean.

When we open the gates to nonfiction inquiry, we open our thinking and expect the unexpected, making reading discoveries, research discoveries, and writing discoveries on our way. Nonfiction Matters offers teachers the tools to help students explore nonfiction and dig deep to reach more complete understanding of the real world and report these insights in a compelling manner. Stephanie Harvey shows how students can read expository text, engage in research, and write authentic nonfiction that is captivating, visual, and full of voice. The inquiry projects she describes require in-depth learning: topic selection, question development, research exploration, reading for content, organization, synthesis, writing to convey meaning, and presenting findings—all skills that develop independent thinkers who know how to make decisions, solve problems, and apply their knowledge insightfully. Full of practical suggestions to help you bring nonfiction into your curriculum, Nonfiction Matters: presents strategies for understanding expository text and conducting meaningful research;offers ideas for organizing and writing accurate, effective nonfiction from idea to finished presentation;advances the importance of teacher modeling and guided practice in instructional delivery;provides a list of inquiry tools and resources—both print and electronic;suggests ways to facilitate project-based learning and assess the projects as they develop;includes bibliographies of nonfiction children's books by subject and genre and lists of recommended magazines.Why is nonfiction almost a guaranteed success? The key to teaching with nonfiction is passion, for children are passionate inquirers, and nonfiction fuels their curiosity and their demand for knowledge and understanding of the world.

This title is a comprehensive volume that focuses on genre study through inquiry-based learning with an emphasis on reading comprehension and the craft of writing. In exploring genre study, Fountas and Pinnell advocate a way of thinking and learning where students are actively engaged in the thinking process.

Educators who teach children’s literature at the college level as part of the pre-service experience seldom allocate enough space in the curriculum for nonfiction literature. This book recognizes the viability of nonfiction as a literary genre that demands critical analysis, celebrates storytelling in its varied forms, and invites teacher educators and pre-service teachers, our primary audience, to nurture a spirit of inquiry and skepticism in the classroom. It is an excellent resource for teacher educators looking for a variety of nonfiction texts to include in their literacy curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It also offers critical approaches through which students are encouraged to read these texts, and ideas for critical inquiry with young learners.

Foreword by Colby Sharp In the decade since the first edition of Still Learning to Read was published, the prevalence of testing and the Common Core State Standards have changed what is expected of both teachers and students. The new edition of Still Learning to Read focuses on the needs of students in grades 3-6 in all aspects of reading workshop, including reading workshop, read-aloud, classroom design, digital tools, fiction, nonfiction, and close reading. The book stays true to its original beliefs of slowing down and knowing our readers, but it also takes into account the sense of urgency that changing times and standards impose on classrooms. This edition examines current trends in literacy, includes a new section on intentional instructional planning, and provides expanded examples of mini-lessons and routines that promote deeper thinking about learning. It also includes a brand new chapter on scaffolding for reading nonfiction and showcases the authors' latest thinking on close reading and text complexity. Online videos provide glimpses into classrooms as students make book choices, work in small groups, and discuss their reading notebooks. Expanded and updated book lists, recommendations for digital tools, lesson cycles, and sections specifically written for school leaders round out this foundational resource.

The book you are about to read is destined to be the first, middle, and maybe even the last word on nonfiction writing for young, young children. It is certainly a text that you will return to over and over again as you do with a beloved cookbook. —from the Foreword by Tomie dePaola Over eighty- five percent of the reading and writing we do as adults is nonfiction, yet most of the reading and writing in K–3 classrooms is fiction or personal narrative. In Is That a Fact? Teaching Nonfiction Writing K-3, Tony Stead shows you how to open the door to the rich world of nonfiction writing that goes beyond what I did narratives and animal reports. And he convincingly demonstrates the importance of introducing nonfiction writing in the primary grades. Nonfiction inspires enthusiasm in young children because they can choose topics that are of interest to them personally. Is That a Fact? explores a variety of authentic purposes for writing nonfiction, such as describing, explaining, instructing, persuading, retelling, and exploring relationships with others. You will learn how to introduce each purpose using a variety of forms, including letters, reports, poetry, captions, directions, and interviews. Part One provides a complete overview of teaching nonfiction writing in the primary grades and includes: practical ways for organizing nonfiction resources within the classroom;how to assist children in collecting information for research;ideas for helping children keep their sense of voice when writing nonfiction;a chapter on spelling, with examples of how to guide students at each stage of spelling development;strategies for assessment and evaluation that guide teaching and learning engagements. Part Two provides five different explorations that were implemented in actual K–3 classrooms. Each focuses on a specific purpose for writing nonfiction and features:examples of whole-class, small-group, and independent instructional engagements;a comprehensive assessment rubric that will help teachers tailor instruction to the needs of all learners;an extensive resource section that includes lists of books in the exploration, grouped by readability levels;answers to the most commonly asked questions about teaching nonfiction writing. The appendixes include a self-assessment questionnaire, reproducible pages for exploring specific writing forms, and letters to parents. Children need to be introduced to the different purposes of nonfiction writing. They need to know how to plan, compose, revise, and publish nonfiction beyond narrative. Is That a Fact? guides you in achieving these goals with your students.

"Nonfiction intrudes into our world and purports to tell the truth. To evaluate that truth, we need students to be sophisticated, skillful, and savvy readers. And that's why Kylene and Bob wrote Reading Nonfiction, a book that presents: 3 big questions that develop the stance needed for attentive reading; 5 signposts that help readers analyze and evaluate the author's craft; and 7 strategies that develop relevance and fix up confusions"--Back cover.