For many of us one of the greatest challenges the Common Core State Standards poses is the amount of nonfiction texts we need to now use with our students. I know most of my student reading material was fiction-based until this year. Here are some tips on how I started building my nonfiction repertoire.

1. Pair your fiction with nonfiction

A great way to make sure you are complying with the CCSS requirement of reading 50% fictional texts and 50% nonfiction texts with your students is to pair your fiction texts with a nonfiction text on a similar topic.

For example:

• If you are using the picture book the Stellaluna by Janell Cannon with your students a natural nonfiction follow-up text would be an informational text about bats.

• If you were reading the chapter book Rules by Cynthia Lord you might want to have your students read about autism before, during or after the book to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by the characters. 

The CCSS has changed the way I think about planning lessons and units. Before the CCSS, the majority of texts I read with my students were fictional texts unless we were working on a nonfiction unit, but now I incorporate nonfiction texts whenever I can. I find my students’ depth of understanding of fiction texts has been greatly enhanced by adding the nonfiction text.

For an example of this reading lesson plan see my blog post about Activating Prior Knowledge using the book Stellaluna.

2. Let one nonfiction text lead to another

The CCSS requires upper elementary students to look at multiple sources about one topic and integrate that information to create a more meaningful understanding. As the teacher, I have been giving my students multiple nonfiction texts on the same topic to learn from, but my goal now is to have my students start taking more of an active role in selecting some of their nonfiction texts. I want my students to see how informational texts often lead to more questions, or the desire to know more about the topic; and furthermore, that desire or those questions can guide further research.

For example, I just taught a unit about Ruby Bridges with my students, and in that unit we covered 5 different texts about Ruby Bridges. At the end of the unit I shared with my students how I came to select each text we read hoping that they would mirror my methodology. I explained that I began my research about Ruby Bridges by reading several fact-based articles. Some of these article mentioned the book Ruby Bridges wrote herself, Through My Eyes. After reading Through My Eyes, I wanted to hear more about other firsthand accounts of this event, which led me to a transcript of an interview with Ruby Bridges and one of the U.S marshals that took her to school during her first year. In that interview the painting The Problem we All Live With by Norman Rockwell was referenced. I was unfamiliar with that painting so that led me to more research on the painting.

See my Ruby Bridges blog post for examples of these texts. Download and print the reading lesson plan now!

3. Don't limit your texts

There are a variety of nonfiction mediums you can use with your students. In addition to articles and books, you can use interviews, artwork and theatrical interpretations (all of which I used in the Ruby Bridges unit I mentioned above). Another nonfiction source that is popular with kids are video clips. The SBAC asks students to watch video clips and take notes on the videos in the performance task section of the assessment. I used video clips with my students during our Olympic Unit and found the videos provided them with a clear visual and better understanding of the sports played at the winter games.

See my Olympic Games-Themed Lesson Bundle about taking notes as an example. Download and print the lesson now!

4. Use Periodicals

My students love their periodicals and so do I! I use magazines with all of my students and find them to be very motivating with getting my reluctant readers engaged. At my school in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade we use the magazine Time For Kids. This magazine provides students with short articles on current topics. In third grade, I also use National Geographic for Kids. The photographs grab my students’ attention and the articles are written in a way that even my struggling readers are able to make meaning of. I also like ASK Magazine, but it is expensive compared to the cost of the other periodicals I use. Every issue has a theme (such as sound). Each article is different, but connects to the theme. My favorite student periodical is the magazine Storyworks. I use this magazine with my 5th graders. Every issue has a nonfiction & fiction text, a poem, a play, a compare & contrast piece and a debate. The teacher resources provided with this magazine are excellent and based on the CCSS. I highly recommend it!

5. Always try to incorporate student interests

Lastly, it's important to integrate student interests into text selection whenever possible. I think one of the greatest challenges with nonfiction material is that students give up quickly on a text because it is either too difficult or too boring. I have found that my students are more likely to stick with a difficult text of they are interested in the topic.

Do you have any tips of your own on building your informational text library? Share in the comments below.

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