After reading this recent article that I wrote
for PLOS SciComm,
veteran STEM educator and author Kristen Nordstrom responded on Facebook, briefly
sharing some simple things teachers and parents can do to nurture a love of nonfiction
in young children. I asked her to expand her ideas for a blog post, and the
result is the essay below. Thank you, Kristen!
Do children enjoy nonfiction as much as fiction? I don’t think we ask
this question often enough.
Sometimes nonfiction for kids gets a bum rap. Adults think it’s dry,
boring, too textbook-y. That may have been true 20 years ago, but not today. The
world of fact-filled books has changed radically.
Today’s authors are creating engaging text that publishers
couple with stunning visuals and dynamic design. The dramatic shift is the
result in innovation in book production technology as well as changes in state
standards to better prepare twenty-first century students for success in
college and future careers.
The ability to read and understand expository text is essential because the need for critical and analytical thinkers in a rapidly
changing global job market continues to rise. Unfortunately, the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment’s results
showed that out of 79 countries,
U.S. students ranked 18th in science and 37th in math.
As a nationally certified STEM educator, this is deeply troubling.
How did it happen?
While there is no single answer, I think it’s valuable to examine
how children form their first relationship with fiction and nonfiction reading.
I believe it’s a matter of nature vs.
nurture. Some kids love interesting facts from their first board book, while
others learn to love nonfiction
over time. As a teacher of 5- to 8-year-olds and a mother to two boys, I’ve
repeatedly witnessed this phenomenon first-hand. And along the way, I’ve picked
up some tricks of the trade.
For students who can’t live without nonfiction, I keep a steady stream of fact-filled books flowing in their direction–active nonfiction,
browseable nonfiction, traditional nonfiction, expository literature, and
narrative nonfiction. For those who need to be nurtured, I read
fiction AND nonfiction aloud every single day.
In my classroom, we discuss the “aha” moments gleaned from a nonfiction
picture book (A shark egg case is called a mermaid’s purse? A
salamander can regrow eyes, limbs, and organs!) with the same enthusiasm as
the twists and turns of a fictional chapter book’s plot. This practice
helps all children develop a positive relationship to a diverse assortment of both
expository and narrative text.
When adults—teachers, librarians, parents, caretakers—model their
love of nonfiction kids pay attention. When we discuss how it inspires us, how
it helps us comprehend the complex planet we inhabit, and how it connects us to
real people in the real world, kids pay attention. They learn to value
fiction and nonfiction equally and to see all kinds of books as vibrant and
vital.
Why can’t we leave this to chance? Why should we work hard and
with intention to cultivate an
appreciation for all types of writing in students? Because the universe is a
mind-blowing place, and books can be a child’s portal to discovering all it has
to offer.
Reading and discussing fiction and nonfiction on a daily basis is
a simple practice. It takes 10 minutes (15 tops), and it has the power to
change the course of humanity—one child at a time.
Kristen Nordstrom,
M.Ed.
is a
nonfiction author, teacher, and founding member of a Title 1 NGSS-based (STEAM)
public school in California. Her debut picture book Mimic Makers: Biomimicry
Inventors Inspired by Nature, illustrated by Paul Boston, is a Junior
Library Gold Standard Selection, CYBILS Nonfiction Picture Book Finalist, NSTA
Best STEM Picture Book, and AAAS/Subaru Best STEM Picture Book.
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2 Responses
Exactly. Expand the brain through joyful modeling . Very well explained, Kristen. 🎩s off to you. Ruth Rath
There's nothing better than "Aha" moments. Mimic Makers is a favorite in our house.