Teaching nonfiction in first grade can feel overwhelming, but it can be really fun for you and your students with the right tools and resources. We often assume first-graders gravitate towards fiction, but it would probably surprise you how many of my students would instead enjoy reading nonfiction texts. When you think about what we read as adults, most of it is nonfiction from news articles, magazines, how-to guides, and recipe books. And first-graders are always on the hunt to learn new facts and information, which ultimately leads them toward nonfiction text. But reading nonfiction text definitely comes with strategy and practices so students can effectively read.
So, if you are wondering how to teach nonfiction reading and/or are teaching nonfiction reading strategies, I have 6 tips for you.
First and foremost, you’ve got to begin by teaching fiction vs. nonfiction. Compare fiction to nonfiction using an anchor chart will be a really great way for students to distinguish the difference between nonfiction and fiction. You can give your students hands-on practice by giving them examples of both texts and going through them to find differences between them. I allow for a chunk of time for students to dissect both types of texts, and then I walk around the room casually, pointing out different types of text features and noting differences that I see in the texts. This time allows students to make their own inferences and have hands-on experience differentiating between fiction and nonfiction.
Class Discussion
After letting your students explore different types of fiction and nonfiction text, you can have a whole group discussion by using a nonfiction and fiction book. I would suggest using books on the same topic. That way, it is easy for your students to note the differences between a fiction and nonfiction text. I typically read the fiction book first, and then on an anchor chart, we will name the characteristics of the book, such as characters, illustrations, and storytelling elements. Then we will read the nonfiction book and do the same thing, and then we will talk about the differences and even the similarities. Again, the more hands-on practice, the more engaging and beneficial it will be for your students.
I would recommend Clark the Shark and Surprising Sharks for a comparison.
Teaching Nonfiction Text Features
We must make sure our students can identify and use a variety of features in nonfiction text. Want to know how to teach first grade nonfiction text features? We can do this by providing them with the explicit teaching of text features through engaging, fun, and interactive activities. This is the first place I start with nonfiction and then give my students plenty of practice in becoming familiar with these features. One of my favorite ways to practice is using games, and it’s a great way to assess informally. You might also want to check out this text features post where I take a deeper dive into how I teach text features. One of my students’ favorite ways to practice text features is through nonfiction surgery. It’s just a super fun way to dig way deeper into practicing text features, and I promise your students will have a blast. It’s amazing what a pair of surgical gloves can do!
Explore Different Text
Books are the go-to in my classroom. But we must also introduce our young learners to different types of nonfiction texts. I always start with reading passages because they are shorter but packed with information. You can also bring in magazines like National Geographic or High Week. These are a hit with my kiddos! You can also check out my Amazon book list for tons of great first grade books.
Engaging Topics
One of the tips I have learned throughout my years of teaching on teaching nonfiction reading strategies is to pull high-interest text and topics. And I have paired together nonfiction reading and writing activities with topics that I know my first-graders will love. When students have an opportunity to read a nonfiction text, then answer questions, make inferences, and write an informational text. It’s a comprehensive way to pack everything together in a way that flows and makes sense to first-graders. Below I have a huge list of resources that I use with my students to truly spark their interest in nonfiction reading and writing.
Students Have an Understanding
Even as adults, we read something and then think to ourselves, what did I just read? Imagine young learners who are just getting their feet wet in different types of texts. Reading nonfiction text is very different from fiction, so it’s crucial that our students have a lot of practice with different kinds of texts to understand how to use text features to get the most out of the text. Once students understand, we can move forward with informative writing and diving deeper into nonfiction text. Be sure to check out my post, all about informative writing.
I love teaching nonfiction in first-grade because I love the curiosity and knowledge it brings to the forefront. It can feel challenging at moments, but with the right strategies, resources, and approach, your students will truly enjoy the process. You might even see them grabbing nonfiction books way more often during independent reading. When they have a firm understanding of nonfiction, it makes informative writing a much smoother task for them, too!
That’s how to teach nonfiction to first graders. What are your tips?
