Using+Nonfiction+in+a+Read-Aloud+Program

Doiron, R. (1994). Using nonfiction in a read-aloud program: Letting the facts speak for themselves. //The Reading Teacher, 47//(8). 616-624. Retrieved June 21, 2009, from Academic Search Complete.


 * Quotes || Reaction ||
 * 1. "The purpose of this article is to challenge the pervasive role fiction has played and to explore the rationale for making nonfiction an integral part of read-aloud programs in order to establish a balance of expository and narrative texts used in our reading programs." (p. 616) 

2. "The two phases of learning to read and reading to learn have been replaced by the two goals of reading for enjoyment and reading for information as the principal purposes for reading." (p. 617)

3. "While no one would argue with the power of fiction to do this, Trelease implies that we read for only one purpose or that there is no meaning to be found in the information presented in expository texts. This sort of bias toward fiction is at best unrealistic and at worst too one-sided to meet children's full literacy needs." (p. 617)

4. "Educators are discovering something that children have known for a long time - reading for information can be fun. Children are naturally curious, with a great thirst to know about the world around them. They are not bored by facts, data, or information; they are only bored by how such information is presented or by what they are expected to do with it." (p. 618) 

5. "Moreover, the information explosion is influencing our literacy programs." "Teachers at all levels of the educational system recognize the tremendous importance of developing students' abilities to read for information. This can develop only if we include the reading of information as part of the overall goal of reading for pleasure, a goal that seems to begin with reading aloud to children." (p. 618)

6. "We need to look for opportunities to incorporate the literature of fact into our literacy programs, not as texts to learn but as rich meaningful experiences. In this way, we can make reading for information part of the pleasure of reading, not the work of reading. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to read quality literature of fact to children so that they see teachers modeling reading for information, have opportunities to discuss what was read, and listen for the language used to create meaning out of the facts that surround the thousands of things making up the world around us." (p. 621)  7. Tips for teachers using nonfiction in their read-aloud programs include "Begin with books that you enjoy," "Read the books before sharing to become acquainted with the content and to prepare you to make the reading aloud interesting and effective," "Provide some background information on the subject before the read-aloud, allowing students the chance to build their prior knowledge framework and tap into their prior knowledge," "In most cases, the read-aloud stimulated discussion around the subject," "Draw attention to the authors, illustrators, and publishers of the book; comment on the accuracy of the information, the date it was published, and the authority with which the text was written," "Not all nonfiction books should be read from cover to cover," "Variety is the spice of life," and "The informational storybook...is a unique text that may help bridge the reading of fiction and nonfiction." (p. 621-623) || 4. Much of the nonfiction that has been published recently for children is as interesting and well-written as fiction books.

5. Reading nonfiction helps students become more information literate when students are taught about special nonfiction text features such as tables, graphs, headings, and captions. Teachers must instruct students on how to obtain meaning from these text features. I have found that students do not read them unless they are explicitly taught how.

6. Reading nonfiction aloud would encourage children to read nonfiction on their own.

7. These are wonderful tips. I notice that some would also apply to fiction texts. ||  Tags: read-aloud, anecdotal, nonfiction, reasons for reading aloud , choosing material, reading aloud effectively