Students need to learn
how
to read nonfiction because of the many unique features found in it. Fontas and Pinnell outline these in great detail in the chapter, 'Teaching Genre and Content Literacy' in their book
Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6: Teaching comprehension, Genre and Content Literacy
. Typically found in informational texts are the following features:
-
Print Features
--
i.e.,
bold or italic print, bullets, titles, headings, subheadings, labels, captions.
-
Graphic Aids
--
i.e.,
diagrams, sketches, graphs, figures, timelines, maps, charts.
-
Organizational Aids
--
i.e.,
table of contents, index, glossary, preface, appendix.
-
Illustrations
--
i.e.,
colored and/or black and white photographs or drawings, labeled drawings.
In both small and large group lessons the students need to gain practice in reading texts where they will be called upon to use, understand, and interpret such features as the index, glossary, diagrams, charts, timelines, etc.
A nonfiction text focuses on a specific topic and provides the reader with factual information through both text and visual images. Although biography is nonfiction, it exhibits characteristics found in fiction. This genre has particular appeal to young students because it blends together factual information with such features found in fiction as a central character, a focus on formative events, the tension produced as a result of internal conflict and struggle and problem resolution. (Fontas and Pinnell 2001, p. 405).
What are some of the literary elements of biography that need to be taught? First, there is
setting
, the place and historical time when the subject lived. This will be of particular importance because it is through a study of the subject's life that we come to a clearer understanding of the social movement that arose during the subject's lifetime. Second is
characterization
where we look at the subject's character and motives as well as the events and people that influenced the subject's actions and decisions. In a well-written biography we are able to see "the social-political climate of the time through the subject's eyes" (Fontas and Pinnell 2001, p. 405). People of accomplishment often have to undergo a number of difficult trials during their lives before reaching their goals. It is the courage they show in the face of adversity that we find most admirable. Indeed, many never receive recognition for their accomplishments during their lifetimes. Nevertheless, they leave a legacy behind them. It is the fourth feature,
theme
, which allows us to look more closely at the struggles and ultimate achievements the subject makes. "For many readers, the impact of biography is even more powerful because the person and events are real" (Fontas and Pinnell 2001, p. 405).
It is essential for teachers to use high-quality informational texts such as biographies to help students develop
content literacy
. Fontas and Pinnell, in their aforementioned book, maintain that "content literacy involves the strategies required to read, comprehend, and write informational texts in a variety of subjects" (p. 400). A student with a firm foundation in content literacy and, therefore an ability to derive meaning from the text, will be able to anticipate the types of organizational structures used in the text and to understand the various graphic features that will need to be interpreted. He/she also has knowledge of the vocabulary specific to the topic (Fontas and Pinnell 2001, p. 400).
There are a number of reading strategies that students need to be explicitly taught in order to be successful readers of nonfiction. How can we improve a student's comprehension of informational texts? Boyles suggests that we provide students with strong comprehension strategy support throughout their content reading--that is, before, during and after. (Boyles 2004, p. 84). There are six comprehension strategies: guessing/ predicting, connecting, wondering, noticing, picturing/ visualizing, and figuring out. In fact, these identical strategies are taught and practiced by students reading fiction texts as well. What is different when reading nonfiction is the kind of predictions students will make before reading, the type of connections that will help them better understand the text, the clues to meaning found in the particular structure of the texts and the way the graphics help support the reader's understanding of the text (Boyles 2004, p. 87).
To clarify the differences between reading fiction and nonfiction, Boyles suggests selecting a fiction and nonfiction text on the same topic and using them with your students in a shared reading format. During such lessons I will lead students through a comparison of the different ways to prepare for each of the readings. Boyles offers teachers a very useful chart entitled "Getting My Mind Ready To Read: Applying Comprehension Strategies to Fiction and Nonfiction" on p. 89 of her previously mentioned book, In this chart a listing of specific questions for fiction and then nonfiction is given to facilitate practice of each comprehension strategy. For example, when teaching students how to make connections in fiction, the question asks the students to reflect on personal experiences or books they've read that may relate to the story. When making connections to nonfiction, the question asks the students to reflect on what they already know about the topic.
In an effort to encourage my students to use the strategy of wondering during guided reading, I will present them with an 'interview organizer' similar to the one included in Debbie Deem et. al.'s book
Ready-To-Go Management Kit for Teaching Genre
. The details of this lesson are given in Lesson Plan I.
In each of the next three sections we will consider the following 3 aspects of the subject's character and life:
-
· The subject as revolutionary
-
· The plateaus the subject reached during his/her lifetime
-
· The pivotal events that influenced his/her life
These aspects will be explored during the three types of reading. Reading of chunks of the biography followed by discussion to arrive at comprehension of the material will be the focus during shared and guided reading. It will be within the independent reading sessions that students will clarify their thinking and understanding of what they have read by writing in response journals. As Fontas and Pinnell suggest, "The writing students do in a response journal is another path to meaning" (p. 284). To help initiate students' thinking about what they have read, I will provide a number of response journal questions from which they can select.