Update June 24, 2024: My thinking about nonfiction classification is constantly evolving. For the most up-to-date information please see the book 5 Kinds of Nonfiction as well as information on my website.
for classifying nonfiction that many writers and educators seem to find useful.
Initially, I was thinking of it as a family tree, but that analogy didn’t quite
work, so now I just call it the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.
nonfiction into 5 categories—active, browseable, traditional, expository
literature, and narrative.
Even though many children’s book publishers are currently focused on narrative nonfiction—books that tell a true story or convey an experience, these books are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great nonfiction for kids. In fact, four of the five categories in my classification system have an expository writing style. These books explain, describe, or inform.
Studies show that roughly 40 percent of
elementary students prefer expository nonfiction, while another 30 percent
enjoy expository and narrative writing (fiction and nonfiction) equally.
Research also shows that about 40 percent of the books elementary students
check out of the school library to read for pleasure are expository
nonfiction.
students will be asked to write most frequently in school and in their future
careers, it makes sense for educators, writers, and publishers to understand
the key characteristics of finely-crafted expository writing and provide
students with mentor texts that exemplify those traits.
sharing posts with book recommendations and suggestions for teaching students
to craft high-quality expository nonfiction—informational writing that sings.
critically important to choose a focused topic. One of the best ways to do that
is by starting with a question, so, next week, I’ll continue this blog series
by discussing ways to help students formulate and keep track of questions.
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