Reading: Nonfiction

Students in 4-411 know that many of the skills and strategies they use to navigate fiction can be adapted to help them navigate nonfiction. Here are some strategies they have been using to become even more powerful readers:

Reading: Using Precise Language

We know that readers use precise language when talking about their characters. We realized that using boring, dull words doesn't really give anyone a clear picture of the character. Instead, readers think of specific words to describe the way their characters are FEELING in each moment in their stories. 

Reading: Growing Ideas About Characters

Readers know that they should be developing ideas about their characters as they read. They can look at what their characters do and say, what choices they make, and the objects they hold near and dear to them and use those as a window into who they are as people.

Readers also know that it is so important to make inferences about characters. They know that there are levels of inference and they try to increase the number of stars on their post-it by making their ideas more sophisticated.

 Here are some ways we revised our post-its to make our ideas even stronger:

Don't forget that as you are reading, you need to grow ideas about your characters. See how many stars you earn on each one of your post-its!

Reading Unit 2: Following Characters into Meaning

We just finished our first reading unit and students did an amazing job setting goals for themselves and improving their reading habits.  Our next unit will challenge students to move from inference to interpretation in their fiction books.

During our second unit, students will: 

- Understand character motivations & actions

- Envision, predict, and infer and characters

- Build theories about characters

-Make interpretations based on the text

Reading Unit 1: Building a Reading Life

At the beginning of the year, students worked on building a reading life for themselves. They got back into habits of good readers, goal setting, and growing ideas about their books. Here are some strategies to use to continue building a reading life: