Kids LOVE fiction! Why? They get to read entertaining stories about characters that go on great adventures, they get to solve mysteries, and they get to go to places that only exist in their imaginations.

Why do some kids avoid nonfiction? In my personal opinion, they might be avoiding in because it is harder to read nonfiction.

What are my reasons for this? Nonfiction in the classroom setting exists in the form of textbooks, and textbooks typically have a higher reading level than most kids have mastered. The words in nonfiction books are typically harder to read because they are multisyllable words and many are formed using Greek or Latin roots. This makes them more challenging to decode. It slows down the reading process and soon a struggling reader is spending a LOT of their energy just trying to get through the content and meaning is lost.

What can you do at home to support your child?

1.) Find a nonfiction book that is at your child's independent reading level. Most libraries have a wide selection of nonfiction books written at lower levels. You should be able to find something that will work for your child.

2.) Sit down with your child and go over the book looking to see if there is a glossary. Go over bold words and talk about the words. Help them sound them out, talk about any prefixes or suffixes that may change the meaning of the words.

3.) Look at any charts, graphs, maps, or other text features in the book that may help them understand the book.

4.) Find a chapter they are interested in reading. If the book doesn't have chapters, look for a section. Sit down and read that section to your child. Have them reread it to you and then talk about what they read.

5.) Send them off to read on their own and then check back with them. Ask them what they learned. Talk about the book and get excited about it!

Why is all of this important?

Your child needs to have experiences with nonfiction that are enjoyable. For many kids, this will take place outside of the classroom. Once they experience reading a nonfiction text, the fear eases and they gain confidence!

Will this actually make reading the textbook in school easier? Not necessarily, but it will help them gain background knowledge, increase their vocabulary, and learn HOW to read a nonfiction text.

We want our kids reading nonfiction texts to learn about the world around them! We want them to understand HOW things work! We want them to be informed about their communities, science, arts, and so many other things.

Fiction is also a great place to hang out and learn these things, but don't ignore nonfiction! Consider books about jobs, regions of the world, equipment, games, etc. Find a biography or an autobiography of someone your child really admires! Look at magazines and newspapers. Don't forget to peek inside of dictionaries, almanacs, and atlases!

Nonfiction can be just as exciting to read!

Check out my playlist on YouTube for more book ideas!

​https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Px68rUYgR2dRCp0tiI2zqcQF2iDx0-e​

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, visit:

​https://tutoringwithsheryl.tutorbird.com​