Fiction VS Nonfiction Activities for Upper Elementary Students

As an upper elementary reading teacher, you probably expect your students to know the difference between fiction and nonfiction, but that is not always the case. Without a true understanding of the two different genres, students often still think that a story is nonfiction just because it can happen in real life. Other students rely too heavily on the pictures or title instead of truly thinking about the text itself.

What is the best way to fix this lack of understanding between fiction and nonfiction? Explicit instruction through guided inquiry.

Our upper elementary students need direct instruction on the elements and features of fiction and nonfiction. Students need time to look at examples, discuss what they notice, and identify the elements that separate fiction from nonfiction. They also need practice explaining how they know instead of just choosing an answer.

When students truly understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction, they can approach each type of text with a better understanding of what to expect, what to look for, and how to make meaning from what they read.

Here are my favorite go-to lesson ideas and engaging ways to help students understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction.

1. Teach Fiction VS Nonfiction Genres 

Defining fiction and nonfiction for kids is a must! Start with the two biggest genre buckets before diving into genres like fables, mysteries, and biographies. Once students understand fiction elements and nonfiction features, you can move on to teach about the different reading genres.

I love to kick off fiction vs. nonfiction lessons by visiting a basket of classroom library books or books I've already read aloud with students and begin discussing what elements are in each using a T-chart to compare the two genres. 

When I do this, I love to grab two books on the same topic: one fiction and one nonfiction. For this, you can grab any books in your classroom library. In the past, I have used fiction and nonfiction books on topics such as soccer and dolphins. Here are examples: Magic Tree House Dolphins and Daybreak and Whales and Dolphins. Using books on the same topic in different genres is a great way to build a comparison chart for fiction and nonfiction with your students that you can use throughout the year.

2. Classroom Library Exploration

Once you have modeled sorting books that you have read aloud into fiction and nonfiction, it is time for the kids to explore either your classroom library or the school library to find fiction and nonfiction books. If you don't want the kids to have free range in either library, you can create your own buckets of books with a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Have the kids explore that bucket to analyze the difference between the two genres.

Hold your students accountable for their genre exploration by having them complete book hunt reflection forms!

3. Practice with Partners

Now that you have kicked off your lessons and discussed how to compare and understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction, the best way to keep the learning going is to have kids work with partners and engage in meaningful discourse. 

Start by giving students this fiction and nonfiction anchor chart and have them discuss the differences. Once they are done, have students complete activities that require discourse. Fiction sorts, practice pages, and genre focused task cards are a great way to have the kids discuss different types of texts, figuring out which genre they are!

4. Dive into Paired Passages

Now your students are ready to put their understanding of fiction vs. nonfiction to the text with paired passage activities! Have your students read a fiction and nonfiction typed text on the same topic at the same time. As they read, have them highlight fiction elements and nonfiction features to show which text is which. Through reading, discussion, and completion of the reading reflection page, your students will prove what they learned about fiction vs. nonfiction!

5. Be a Genre Detective Task Cards

I love to revisit the concept of fiction vs nonfiction throughout the year. The kids always benefit from the additional practice. To do this, you can always discuss the genre of the books you read aloud, keep two baskets in the front of the room with one being fiction books and the other being nonfiction books, and practice this skill with fiction vs. nonfiction task cards throughout the year.

Grab free reading activities designed to support reading comprehension strategies:

Teaching fiction and nonfiction doesn't have to be complicated, but it does need to go beyond asking students to just choose the label of fiction or nonfiction. Start with what you have in the classroom, like books and previous read-alouds. Model for your students how to look for clues, and give your students plenty of opportunities to explain their thinking.

Before long, you will see your students stop guessing based on the title or pictures and begin using real evidence from the text. I know these ideas will help your students build a stronger understanding of the differences between fiction and nonfiction that they can use all year long!

👉Grab the no-prep lesson pack to help your students understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction once and for all!

     
Check out my favorite reading activities HERE...

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How to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies with Anchor Charts

As an upper elementary teacher, reading specialist, dyslexia specialist, and reading curriculum trainer and writer, I am often asked the same reading comprehension questions by teachers and parents. Here is how I respond to the same questions I often get about how to teach reading comprehension strategies.

What are reading comprehension strategies?

Reading comprehension and reading strategies are not the same. Reading comprehension is the process of making meaning from a text. Students use reading strategies to better understand, think about, and remember what they read. These strategies help students make sense of the text and deepen their understanding. Reading strategies are intentional techniques that readers use before, during, and after reading to help them understand and think deeply about the texts they read.

Using a single reading strategy is not enough to help students fully comprehend a text. Strong readers use multiple reading strategies during one reading session. They use strategies before, during, and after reading. Learning how and when to apply these strategies takes practice, but over time, students become more thoughtful and independent readers who can better understand unfamiliar words, important ideas, and the author's message.

How do you teach reading comprehension strategies?

When it comes to teaching reading comprehension strategies, students need direct instruction and repeated exposure. Direct instruction is important so students learn how to put a reading strategy into action. It is important to focus on teaching one reading strategy at a time. This will give the kids time to learn and practice the strategy.

To start off, model the reading strategy with a think-aloud so students can hear your thoughts as you practice, and show them the strategy as you read. It is equally important for students to understand how the reading strategy will help them understand the text. Using anchor chart posters is a great visual way to support students' understanding of each strategy.

Before sending students off to practice the strategy on their own, provide time for guided practice and partner practice. This gives them time to try out the strategy.

Once students have been taught, given practice, and exposed to the strategy again, they will become more confident in implementing it. As this happens, students will begin using multiple reading strategies during a single reading session. They can predict before reading, ask questions during reading, and summarize after reading. This will help them learn that reading strategies work together to strengthen comprehension of what was read. 

What are the most important reading comprehension strategies for upper elementary?

There is no one reading comprehension strategy that is more important than another. Strong readers use multiple reading strategies as they read to help them understand a text. Reading strategies can be broken into three groups: before reading, during reading, and after reading strategies.

Upper elementary students learn when to use different strategies to help them understand more complex reading texts. The reading strategies that I teach to help readers succeed include:

✓ Making Predictions

✓ Activating Prior Knowledge

✓ Making Connections

✓ Visualizing  

✓ Asking Questions

✓ Monitoring Comprehension

✓  Using Fix-Up Strategies

✓ Making Inferences

✓ Determining Importance

✓  Summarizing

✓ Synthesizing

✓ Drawing Conclusions

Using reading strategies posters and anchor charts is a great way to reinforce and review reading strategies throughout the school year. You can display them on a bulletin board and refer back to them during a read-aloud, whole-group lessons, and small-group instruction. They are a visual reminder of the strategy, when to use it, and how to put it into action.

Reading strategy posters are a tool to support students. They are helpful because they support consistent language and instruction in your classroom. Using reading strategy anchor chart posters is a great way to keep your instruction concise and consistent, while supporting students as learners and independent readers.

Try these tips to effectively use reading strategy posters in your upper elementary classroom.

1. Set Up a Reading Comprehension Bulletin Board

Setting up a reading comprehension strategy bulletin board is a great way to provide visual support and encouragement for students as they read independently. Having a display means that students do not have to fumble through their reading notebooks or folders to find the anchor chart you gave them. This saves them valuable time. They simply look at the board, find what they need, and continue reading.

2. Create Binder Ring Reference Tool

Creating a reading comprehension strategy binder-ring reference will help both you, as the teacher, and the students as they read independently. It is easy to make! Print the mini-size anchor charts. Laminate the mini posters for durability. Hole punch each poster in the left corner and then attach with a binder ring. These are perfect to have on hand during small-group instruction. I suggest making two. You can hang one on the bulletin board for students to borrow as needed, and keep one at your table during small-group work.

Speaking from experience, these binder ring tools are incredibly helpful! I love using them. I also love the writer's anchor charts for a binder ring tool during writing.

3. Shine Reading Comprehension Strategy Poster Slides

Having a digital version of the anchor charts is a must! When you want your students to practice a specific strategy or two, simply shine the anchor charts on the board so that students have that visual they need. The slides are also perfect for review.

4. Go Beyond the Anchor Charts

Using the anchor charts provides your students with consistent language and practice as they read. During small group work, support and reinforce the language on the anchor charts by asking students strategy-specific questions about their reading. These are not questions about the character, setting, or problem. Those are story elements. The questions that align with the strategies you have taught them include: What background knowledge helped you to understand the story? What predictions can you make about what will happen next? What inferences can you make about the key event in the chapter?

I like having questions like these on cards to use for any fiction or nonfiction reading material. I have a stack of one-color cards for fiction and another stack of a different color for nonfiction. Having the anchor charts and question cards ready for any reading material reduces prep time for small-group instruction and makes it easier to maintain focus with your group.

Grab free reading activities designed to support reading comprehension strategies:

Whether you are just getting started with teaching reading comprehension strategies or have been teaching for years, bring reading comprehension strategy posters, anchor charts, and question cards into your classroom. They will not only support your students but also provide ready-to-go materials for your instruction and small literacy groups.

Happy teaching! : )

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

Types of Writing Genres Bulletin Board for Upper Elementary

Teaching upper elementary and middle school students about the different types of writing can feel overwhelming if you do not have the appropriate visual resources to help both you and your students understand the differences of each writing genre.

Students often confuse the different genres of writing, especially as they get older and are expected to understand the elements of each genre. If your students often mix different genres or forget the elements of genres they have already learned, a types-of-writing bulletin board is just what your classroom needs!

Start this school year off by explicitly teaching your students about the different genre types of writing. An overview of each genre is all they need before you dive into your first writing unit. By explaining each genre ahead of time using a visual reference writing bulletin board, your students will know where to look and find information about each type of writing all year long!

Ready to make a types of writing bulletin board in your classroom this year? Use these quick tips to make the most of your types of writing bulletin board this school year! 

The best part? These posters align with ANY writing program, making them a must-have for every classroom!

1. The Types of Writing Genres to Teach

When it is time to teach writing to our upper elementary students, there are three main genres that students need to understand and be able to write in. They are informative, opinion, and narrative writing. 

Each of these genres has its own purpose, structure, and keywords, which can feel overwhelming for students without clear guidance and reference tools. By giving students a strong foundation in these types of writing early in the year, we can help them build confidence and feel prepared for writing projects throughout the year. 

👉 Informative Writing: This type of writing teaches, explains, or shares information about a topic using facts, details, and examples. Students may write reports, explanatory essays, or how-to/procedural writing.

👉Opinion Writing: Opinion writing asks students to share their thoughts or beliefs about a topic and support them with clear reasons and evidence. Persuasive writing falls under this genre because students are trying to convince readers to agree with their opinion or point of view.

👉Narrative Writing: In this type of writing, students tell a story with characters, setting, events, and a clear experience. Students may write personal narratives, fictional stories, descriptive narratives, and even types of poetry. They use vivid details and descriptions to express their ideas and experiences.

The posters included in this set will help you teach the genres you need:

• opinion
• persuasive
• informative
• procedural/how to
• narrative
• poetry

Additionally, these included posters will help you teach what the kids need:

• structure of a paragraph
• structure of an essay
• structure of a business letter 
• structure of a friendly letter 

2. Set Up Your Bulletin Board for Year-Long Use

This types of writing bulletin board kit is easy to use! Just open, select the writing posters you want to use, and display them. This kit includes borders and two banner options to help you add a little pizazz to your display! Use the digital format to guide your instruction and review.

Optional easy cut banners included will read:

• Writers at Work!
• Growing Great Writers!

Go one step further and add another row of writing posters that will serve as tools to level up your students' writing. 

Additional anchor chart posters included:

• Starting with Hooks
• Clear Conclusions
• How to Use Descriptive Language
• Examples of Descriptive Language
• What is Dialogue

Teacher tip: Use the small-size anchor chart posters, laminate them, and bind them with a binder ring. Leave this binder ring tool on your bulletin board, and watch students grab it as they write.

3. Use the Bulletin Board During Writing Instruction

Displaying this bulletin board at the back of the room, by the small table you use for group work, is a must! Having the posters right at your fingertips while working with students in groups or during writing conferences makes the ideas and concepts on the posters an easy-to-use reference and routine for review.

Use the small size posters and glue them into students' writing notebooks for easy access. You can also print, laminate, and join them with a binder ring. This tool is perfect for you to reference as you work with writers.

4. Create Independent Writers

The best part about having a bulletin board dedicated to types of writing and writing elements is that the students actually use them! This helps students become independent writers. You will find that their writing improves throughout the year when they have a central spot to go to for writing support on their own! The students refer back to the tips on each poster and grab the reference ring binder to bring back to their seats.

Just getting started with teaching writing? You will love this free back-to-school writing activity!

A types of writing bulletin board is much more than just classroom decor! It becomes a meaningful tool that helps students understand writing expectations, build confidence, and grow as writers all year long! When students have consisten visual references they can use independently, writing becomes less overwhelming and they become much more successful!

Whether you use these posters during mini lessons, small groups, or writing conferences, they will quickly become a go-to resource in your classroom. 

Happy teaching! : )

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

New Year's Bulletin Board Ideas for Teachers

Get ready to kick off the New Year in your upper elementary classroom with simple and engaging New Year bulletin board ideas that help students reflect, reset, and feel excited about what’s ahead in the second half of the school year! 

I love to reset our classroom after a long winter break by revisiting the classroom rules and expectations, reviewing procedures, and building community! One way to build community after a long time off from school is by creating a New Year's bulletin board to encourage our classroom community to start the new year with positivity.

A thoughtfully planned New Year bulletin board is a simple way to welcome students back after a long winter break while setting a positive tone for the months ahead. When students are involved in creating the bulletin board, it builds a sense of ownership and helps ease them back into a focused, ready-to-learn mindset.

Creating a New Year bulletin board display can help your classroom feel fresh, especially during the long winter months. Whether your focus is kindness, goal setting, celebrating a fresh start, or comparing the New Year to the Lunar New Year, a meaningful display gives students a visual reminder that a new year brings new opportunities to grow, learn, and support one another.

A motivational New Year bulletin board does more than decorate your wall! It helps build classroom community, sparks conversations about goals and positive choices, and encourages students to start the year with a positive mindset. 

You will love these different New Year bulletin board ideas that are easy to use and make a big impact on your students. 

1. Bring Kindness in the New Year

I love bringing kindness into the classroom every chance I get! This easy-to-assemble bulletin board has motivational quotes to encourage kids to focus on kindness in the new year. The student templates offer students a chance to be included in the creation of the bulletin board. My kids love to decorate the New Year-themed templates to add to our motivational display.

Grab the free New Year-themed mini posters to spread kindness this New Year!

2. Make Your Mark on the New Year

The kids LOVE the characters on these posters that motivate them to "make their mark" on the new year! The kids love to share what they want to accomplish in the new year. Once the posters are up, pick one poster each day to discuss. We chat about one poster during the morning meeting. The kids share how they can put the suggestion on the poster into action. Student templates are included to help the kids share their hopes and dreams for the new year.

3. SEL - Build Yourself Up in the New Year

If you are trying to get SEL, social emotional learning, into your classroom this New Year bulletin board set is just what you need to kick off the new calendar year! This poster set includes headers for the New Year and winter, making it perfect to use all season long. The posters promote self-love and positivity. Try using these to kick off morning discussions. Go one step further and have each poster serve as a writing prompt that students reflect on. 

4. Get Crafty and Set Resolutions

The kids love to color and create hands-on crafts! This New Year craft twist on vision boards is a great way to have students put their fine motor skills to work as they color, cut, and create a New Year craft. The kids love to reflect as they welcome the New Year by writing three goals they have, two new things that they want to try, and one word to represent the New Year. These New Year's cityscapes make an eye-catching bulletin board for the New Year.

5. Keep it Simple and Student Focused

Short on time? Keep it simple! On the first day back from break, have the students complete a poster with all of their New Year's hopes and dreams. When student work is completed, display their posters with a simple New Year bulletin board banner. This is perfect to display all January long!

6. Goal Setting Poetry

Looking for a twist on the traditional SMART goal-setting activity? You will love this goal-setting diamante poetry activity. Students set goals and write diamante poems that can be displayed right away, making the first days after winter break engaging.

Everything is included to teach this New Year poetry lesson: an anchor chart, modeled example, rubric, fast finisher challenge, and easy-cut bulletin board letters. Writing diamante goal-setting poems is an easy way to combine goal setting, writing, and a New Year bulletin board display piece that your students will be proud to share.

A more structured lesson on SMART goals is also a great way to teach students how to plan and track the measurable goals they set.

7. Tie in the Lunar New Year

I love connecting the New Year to the Lunar New Year by comparing and contrasting the two holidays. After we read and learn about these two holidays, I have the kids complete shape poems about each of the two New Year celebrations. This is a great way to have them show what they learned in a visual way. The completed shape poems make a great display that can be left up all winter long.

Creating a New Year bulletin board is a simple yet meaningful way to inspire your students as soon as they return from winter break! Your bulletin board will serve as a daily reminder that a new year brings new opportunities to grow and do our best. It also adds an uplifting and purposeful touch to your classroom as students settle back in after winter break. 

So, grab your supplies, get creative, and kick off the New Year with a bulletin board that motivates and encourages your upper elementary students from day one!

Happy teaching!

Looking for no-prep activities for
New Year's? Head HERE!

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

Ugly Sweater Activities for Kids in Upper Elementary

December in the classroom is always an exciting time, making it the perfect time to mix in some fun and creative lessons. One trend I love to bring into the classroom during December is the ugly sweater trend! It is a great way to keep things festive without focusing on just one holiday - the kids are always engaged and highly motivated with this topic, too!

Not sure how to get started? I can help! These four easy and fun ways to bring ugly sweaters into your classroom will have your students engaged and learning in no time. Plus, since these activities focus on reading, writing, and math standards that you must teach anyway, they are a great way to enjoy learning! The best part? These activities are not holiday-specific, so they can be used with all your students in your classroom!

So, dive into these ideas and make it an Ugly Sweater Week in your upper elementary classroom this December! 

1. Learn the History of this Trend

I found that kids LOVE to know how and when something started, especially a trend that they know about, and ugly sweaters are no different! Read about the history of this fun trend and bring in comprehension activities. This makes the perfect whole-group or small-group reading activity during December! You'll definitely learn a thing or two, too!

2. Sell that Sweater! An Ugly Sweater Persuasive Project

Kids LOVE to color and design their own ugly sweater, so put that creativity to work! Have your students brainstorm, plan, and design a sweater that they can sell. Don't stop there! Have your students use persuasive writing techniques to craft a pitch to sell the ugly sweater they designed. I encourage students to create a sweater with a theme so that when they write their persuasive piece, they have a focus and a target audience.

3. Get Crafty

Real ugly sweaters have all the bells and whistles, literally! Offer your students some fun craft supplies and bows to add to their ugly sweaters. Not only does this give students more opportunities to be creative and create unique sweaters, but it also gives them more to write about in their persuasive pieces! Keep it simple by using whatever supplies you have in one of your many teacher closets!

Grab some free ugly sweater templates below.

4. Bring in Some Math

Get your kids up and moving with a quick game of scoot using ugly sweater-themed word problem task cards. "Scoot" is a fun and active learning game that’s great for reviewing skills or practicing new concepts. 

To play Scoot, place task cards with questions or problems on each student’s desk or around the room. Give each student an answer sheet with numbered spaces that match the cards. Students start at one station, read the task card, and write their answer in the correct spot. After enough time has been given for students to solve each problem, call out “Scoot!” and everyone moves to the next station to repeat the process. 

Keep going until all the stations have been visited. At the end, review the answers as a class or collect the sheets to check their work. To make it smoother, practice how students will move between stations before starting, and use a timer or music to keep everyone on track. 

These ugly sweater-themed task cards are differentiated. If you are using the different level task cards in your classroom, you might try using them within centers so that each student is completing the level that is just right for them!

Rather get creative during math? Bring in art with this design a sweater project. It is easy to use! After students complete each math word problem, they match their solution to a direction for decorating their sweater. Once all problems are solved, students will have a completed ugly sweater!

Bonus Idea: Have an Ugly Sweater Day!

Yes, wear an ugly sweater during the week of ugly sweater learning! Encourage your students to wear one, too.

December is such a magical time to be in the classroom, and adding an ugly sweater theme is a fun way to keep students engaged while still meeting learning goals. These activities bring creativity, critical thinking, and standards-based skills together in a way that’s festive but inclusive for everyone. From reading about the history of ugly sweaters to designing, crafting, and solving math problems, there are so many ways to incorporate this trend into your lessons. Your students will love the chance to be creative, active, and collaborative during these projects. So, grab some supplies, plan your activities, and maybe even wear your own ugly sweater for a little extra classroom cheer!

Happy Holidays!

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Like these Dear Santa Persuasive Letters.

Tap the picture below for more Ugly Sweater Fun!

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)