When it comes to engaging students with nonfiction reading, simple strategies can make a huge difference!
I have always found that students either love or hate reading nonfiction informational texts. And those students who do not love it, need some creative ideas to hook them into reading AND enjoying informational texts.
When planning out my nonfiction reading units and strategies, I break it down into three different mini units to help the students digest all of the different elements of nonfiction reading.
- Nonfiction Structure: how the informational text is organized {think cause and effect}
- Nonfiction Text Features: features found in the text to help students digest the information that they are reading {think captions and headings}
- Nonfiction Reading Strategies: reading strategies that help the students understand the text more deeply {think questioning and visualizing}
While teaching each of these nonfiction mini-units, I use different engagement strategies specifically created for nonfiction reading to engage and hook my readers. Here is a list of the six different engagement strategies that I use to engage ALL readers in nonfiction reading:
- Allow Student Choice
- Brain Dump
- Draw It Out
- Make an Achor Chart
- Be Detectives
- Game Time
These strategies are much easier to explain in person! That is why I created a quick video you can watch all about my favorite reading strategies to hook your students in reading nonfiction.
Want to learn about each of these easy-to-implement strategies that will surely yield high engagement? I created a completely FREE 20 minute PD session all about these 6 nonfiction reading strategies to help you hook your students, too!
Grab it right here!
Remember teaching students to understand nonfiction reading is different than reading strategies to help students comprehend a chapter book, picture book, or short passage.
Teaching nonfiction reading strategies and structure require different engagement strategies. By mixing up your instruction, lessons, and activities your students will strengthen their understanding of nonfiction reading in no time at all!
Looking for Nonfiction Reading Strategy Activities? Try These!
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I begin the unit I make sure my students understand what makes a text fiction or nonfiction. After modeling how I know, students turn and talk to a partner to explain how they know the text type. I then add these posters to our focus wall. On Day 2 my plan was to teach the features of nonfiction texts. I asked my students, “What are text features?” I looked out and saw blank stares…nothing heard professional dissertation help….But don’t worry, this actually excited me! I love when no one already knows what I am about to teach.
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