Nonfiction
Developmental Demands
Rigorous Text
Content Skills vs DL
Democratic Requirements
100

The body of work in which the author purports to tell us about the real world, a real experience, a real person, an idea, or a belief.

What is nonfiction?
100

Concrete learners who mostly understand the world from their own point-of-view (Piaget) and don’t yet have the ability to follow an author’s logic or to recognize if the author is implying anything beyond what is directly stated .

What are primary grade (K-2) students?
100
Text that is reflective of student interest and developmental needs; isn't necessarily less complex. Complex text can be understood by students if it is made relevant.
What does "developmentally appropriate" mean?
100
These skills are found mostly in elementary and middle school standards.
Where are content skills found?
100
Teachers must give students many opportunities to struggle with teh content and figure it out themselves.
What are democratic requirements?
200
Question the text. Question the author. Question our own understanding. Accept that your views may change.
What are the demands of reading nonfiction?
200

A book about real people or real things is called nonfiction. There won’t be any talking animals or flying people in a book about real things. A counting book and books about trucks or dinosaurs or the planets are examples of nonfiction. When you read nonfiction ask yourself, “What did I learn?”

What is the definition of nonfiction for primary grades (K-2)?
200

Meaningful work ; engaged; focused; curious ;independent and cooperative; student-led; asking questions; making connections; reading more and more complex text

What makes text more rigorous? 
200
These skills are predominately found in 6-12 ACF.
Where are disciplinary literacy skills found?
200
The major problem with simply telling kids what they need to know is taht for the rest of their lives, there will be a great many people happy and eager to do precisely that.
Why can't we just tell kids what they need to know?
300

It is the reader’s responsibility to question his or her own beliefs and assumptions while determining what is true—or not—in the text because the author is offering one version of the truth or not offering the truth.

What is the reader's responsibility?
300

Can apply some rules of logic to a situation or task as long as it is still concrete and can think from another’s perspective .

What are upper elementary (3-5) students?
300
The foundation for rigorous reading
What is the role of relevance?
300

Literacy skills that can be applied across a variety of subjects (i.e. summarizing , skimming and scanning).

What are content literacy skills?
300

Struggling readers often lack knowledge in two areas:

1. How reading works

2. How content works

First step is to have students identify the “it” in “I don’t get it.” Blame the author. 
How do teachers guide students in understanding the question?
400
Explore your reading life and what you are bringing to the table.
Who am I as a reader?
400

Nonfiction books are about real people and real events. Some nonfiction might be about ideas or beliefs. A book about your favorite sports player or a book about a musician is nonfiction. So is a book about how the weather is changing. When you read nonfiction, you should ask yourself, “What does the author want me to understand?

What is the nonfiction definition for upper elementary (3-5) students?
400

Raise rigor by focusing on the reader’s engagement with the text

What is the role of the student?
400

The unique tools that experts in a discipline use to engage in that discipline (i.e. understanding author’s bias , understanding how to read specific symbols of calculus).


What are disciplinary literacy skills?
400

1. Explain

2. Model

3. Students Try

4. Students reflect

How do teachers guide students in asking the big questions?
500
Be on the look out for bias. Nonfiction requires more background knowledge and is often more technical, specific, and complex. There is often specialized vocabulary, complex syntax, and abstract concepts.
What are the demands of reading nonfiction?
500

Can think abstractly, apply rules of logic to real-life situations, and reflect on their thinking, has the ability to hold several competing images in mind, and can use complex thinking .


What are middle school (6-8) students?
500

The author thought I’d know what this word means. (Vocabulary)

The author thought I could picture this. (Visualizing)

The author thought I’d know something about this. (Prior Knowledge)

The author thought I’d get how this happens. (Sequencing or causal relationships)


What are the four types of problems?
500

History: Read like a historian. Who is the author and what is his background?

What is thinking about the author?
500
What surprised me? What did the author think I already knew? What challenged, changed, or confirmed what I knew?
What are the big questions?
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