Steve & Nonfiction

It's interesting to think about how my reaction to nonfiction has changed since I was a student. I can distinctly remember what is was like to have a nonfiction text dropped in front of me during high school social studies. These would often come in the form of lengthy printouts, which were probably written at least ten years in the past, or a giant text book with colorful images scattered throughout to unsuccessfully distract me from the tedium of the reading itself. As you can tell, I was not a fan of nonfiction reading in high school.

However, this has changed so much now that I am an adult. I find myself spending hours on end reading contemporary nonfiction articles about subjects that really matter to me (such as sports, politics, etc.). Honestly, the reason for this explosive increase in interest is probably because I can now pick what I want to read, but it is also because I can use the internet to access these texts with ease. Also, if I don't like an article, I will stop reading it and move on. All of these factors have helped make me a strong reader of nonfiction.

I have tried to increase the usage of nonfiction in my classroom for years. One website that I use often is NewsELA, a site dedicated to contemporary events. Instead of assigning a specific reading for my students, I often let them find readings that they are interested in. Not only does this help them to read the article fully, it also helps them comprehend the text more consistently. Since there are reading levels included for each article, I use this reading time to talk with my students about how important it is to push themselves as readers. 

As you can see, I am now a strong advocate for nonfiction reading in the classroom. It is through these readings, as well as literature, where students learn about the world around them and develop valuable positions on issues.