Thinking about and Reacting to Nonfiction Texts

Inquiry Question: What kinds of thinking and reacting do people do when watching a nonfiction movie? Could this be similar to what readers of nonfiction books think about and do?

Have your child watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7eQKSf0LmY

Wow! You watched this like an avid watcher! You learned interesting information that makes you think "WOW!" or "huh?" and ask questions. We can do this in nonfiction books too!

Read some nonfiction texts and mark pages that make you think "WOW!" or "huh?" Read for at least 20 minutes.

Talking Like an Expert

Teaching Point: Today I want to teach you that, when you talk about a nonfiction book, it's really important not to just say, 'Look!' 'Wow!' 'Huh?' 'Why?' Those are great starters. But above all, nonfiction readers need to explain what they have learned to others and share that learning. And to do that, it helps to use the fancy words that go with a topic.

Have your child read nonfiction books for 20 minutes and see if there are any fancy words they learned that they could teach others about.

Falling in love with Topics

Teaching Point: Today I want to teach you that once an avid nonfiction reader finds a topic that he or she loves, the reader gathers books on that topic, and gathers people who love that topic, too.

Have your child discuss nonfiction topics they love reading about! See if you can gather books and other information about that topic.