1. Role of Nonfiction in Developing
Reading and Study Skills
By exposing students to informational texts, students
have the opportunity to develop the following reading
and study skills:
 Gather information
 Organize and summarize information
 Synthesize what they have learned
 Locate facts
 Analyze vocabulary
 Determine fact from fiction
 Determine fact from opinion
 Compare/contrast information
 Use information to determine accuracy of texts

2. Using Nonfiction in the Classroom
Pre-reading During Reading After Reading
Activate and build Locating information Answering questions
background knowledge Recording information Summarizing
Motivate learners Skimming the text Recording what was
Setting a purpose for learned
Reading purposefully
reading to answer questions or Reporting what was
Discuss the access discover information learned
features (table of Discussing content
Summarizing
contents, index, Visualizing Applying/extending
glossary, etc.) the contents
Creating vocab lists
Provide an overview
Rereading
of the text
Answering questions

3. Challenges of Informational Text
 Readers have insufficient prior knowledge
about content area topics
 Readers are unfamiliar with the
organizational text structures of expository
writing.
 Authors of content area materials tend to us a
dense style of writing and include many ideas
in a short space.
 The writing can lack logical connectives and
transition words, which hinder understanding.

4. Effective Nonfiction Read-Alouds
 Select nonfiction that you are interested in and ones
that captivate your students’ interests.
Utilize a variety of nonfiction materials in your read-

aloud sessions.
Prepare for the read-aloud by reading the selection

prior to reading it to the students.
Provide a meaningful, purposeful introduction to the

selection before reading aloud (e.g., discussing the
author, style of writing, content, key vocabulary,
organization of text, etc.)
Depending on your purpose, decide whether to read

the entire text, read only parts of the book, or read
the text out of order.