5 Ways to Share More Nonfiction with Your Students
For the last six weeks, I’ve been talking about expository nonfiction. I’ve presented a heap o’ research indicating that nonfiction in general and expository nonfiction in particular is more popular among elementary students than most of us might think. Simply put, what the children’s literature community calls broccoli, many kids call chocolate cake. In the comments […]
In the Classroom: Reading Nonfiction Picture Books Aloud
Reading nonfiction picture books aloud can be tricky because they often contain significantly more words than fiction picture books. And even if the art is enticing and the writing is engaging and the information is fascinating, a picture book read aloud shouldn’t last too long. When I plan a nonfiction read aloud, I ask myself […]
Behind the Books: Language Devices in Expository Literature
From alliteration to zeugma, there are dozens of different kinds of language devices, and all of them can enrich expository writing. When used skillfully, alliteration, internal rhyme, opposition, and repetition infuse prose with combinations of sounds and syllables that are especially pleasing to the human ear. As a result, they can help to give a […]
March Madness Nonfiction
Last week, Shelly Moody (@shelmoody), the Instructional Coach at Williams Elementary School in Oakland, Maine, tweeted the images below. Her school was getting ready for a terrific event that I’d love to see happen in schools across the country. Full bulletin board Close up of left-hand side of bulletin board Close up of the […]
What a Great Idea!
What a great idea! STEM book tubs. Seeing that Steve Jenkins tub reminds me that I’ve been meaning to share this super-cool slide show describing the process of How to Swallow a Pig by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Enjoy!
Reading Nonfiction Aloud
Educators frequently ask me for strategies for reading nonfiction aloud. It can be tricky. If a spread is bursting with text features, which should you read first? At what point should you read the main text? What about the captions? Should you discuss the photos or illustrations? How much time should you spend on each […]
Behind the Books: Read-aloudability in Nonfiction Picture Books
In June, the CCBC listserv hosted a discussion about nonfiction children’s books, and for one week, my book No Monkeys, No Chocolate was featured and people could ask me questions about it. One of the people on the listserv is Melissa Techman (Twitter: @mtechman), a fabulous school librarian in Virginia. She urged me to share […]