Fact or Fiction?

So what have you read today?  Chances are that most of the reading you have done today was non-fiction reading.  My non-fiction reading for today included maps, newspapers, magazines, e-mails, recipes, lists, order forms and pamphlets to name a few.  The list of non-fiction reading is extensive and my list just touches upon the variety of texts we read on a daily basis.

Non-fiction

Fiction

In school, your child is reading both fiction and non-fiction books.  In kindergarten and first grade, the conversation about whether a book is fact or fiction begins.  Most students in the primary grades will be able to tell you if the story is true (non-fiction) or make-believe (fiction).  A good way to talk about the difference between fiction and non-fiction with your child is to start with fiction because children hears many stories.  You tell them family stories or read stories to your child and all fiction – oral or written - have a beginning, middle, and ending.  While the individual stories may be different, they will all have the quality or structure of having a beginning, middle and an ending.

At the primary level, the non-fiction conversation asks if the book is true or has information but does not tell a story.  I am always amazed at how quickly these young readers can figure out the type of book they are reading!  At the upper elementary grades, the non-fiction books are identified with specific categories such as biographies, procedural or instructional, explanatory, persuasive, or descriptive.  Your child learns what features are important in each of the different non-fiction text structures so they can navigate through the information confidently.  By fourth grade, your child should be reading a mix of 50% fiction and 50% non-fiction books and the amount of non-fiction reading increases through adulthood.

So what did you read today? When your child brings home his or her book tonight, ask them if they are reading fiction or non-fiction!