Your point is well-taken, however I think that many teachers start the year with fiction for good reason. It's a familiar format for young children and also engaging on a larger scale (many different focuses for many different children). You are able to integrate into several areas and good fictional selections lend themselves to extensions and integrations into other content areas in a natural and authentic manner (non-fiction integrates very easily as well, but ends to be topic specific.....if a student isn't interested in the topic we sometimes lose them until they build the capacity later in the year to stick with text that might be less engaging to them). At our elementary school we are about 50-50 (fiction/non-fiction) at K-2 and about 40-50 at 3-5 (more non-fiction). I think most teachers are in "September mode" and thinking about read alouds to begin the year as they are responding. I personally like to engage kids in critical thinking and problem solving, get the brains restarted, and work on engagement. While I agree that non-fiction is vital to a balanced approach in reading, non-fiction also requires a lot of text specific teaching. The content is also very concentrated/ topic specific, therefore limiting us in our ability to target the interests of the entire class (which I think is very important for your first read aloud). If you are looking for a list of really great non-fiction books.....I bet with our collective backgrounds we could provide an extensive list. I think people are responding to what they might pull out as one of their first read alouds...that could be a great piece of non-fiction as well don't get me wrong, however just because many individuals are tossing out fictional titles to begin the year.....please don't assume that is our focus for the year and non-fiction is ignored. In fact....I've ordered nothing but non-fiction to supplement our classroom libraries for the past two years.
--- On Sun, 8/21/11, creeche...@aol.com <creeche...@aol.com> wrote: From: creeche...@aol.com <creeche...@aol.com> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Read Alouds for Third Grade-Non Fiction To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Date: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 10:46 AM I teach kindergarten. Not one of the grades that have been looking for read alouds on this listserv. However I am STUNNED by the lack of informational/nonfiction text being listed. At least half of what you read aloud to children should be nonfiction. And I really don't see much depth in the fictional text listed. Just wonderin. Nancy In a message dated 8/21/2011 12:09:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, mandkalexan...@yahoo.com writes: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo --- On Sun, 8/21/11, Laurie Tandy <ltandy1...@aol.com> wrote: From: Laurie Tandy <ltandy1...@aol.com> Subject: [MOSAIC] Read Alouds for Third Grade To: wr...@centurytel.net, mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Date: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 12:28 AM While we're on the subject of Read Alouds - does anyone have some fresh new titles for third grade? My stand-bys have been Ruby Holler and The Take of Despereaux and Cricket in Times Square and There's An Owl in the Shower.. I'm ready for something new and different that has not been made into a movie. Thanks, Laurie -----Original Message----- From: write <wr...@centurytel.net> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> Sent: Thu, Aug 18, 2011 11:46 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Read aloud to start off the 7th grade My students and I LOVED Freak the Mighty. What would some of you suggest reading after Freak the Mighty -- something similar that kids would like as well? Jan Quoting Kelly Cavaiani <cavai...@swallow.k12.wi.us>: > Freak the Mighty. > > -----Original Message----- > From: mosaic-bounces+cavaiank=swallow.k12.wi...@literacyworkshop.org > [mailto:mosaic-bounces+cavaiank=swallow.k12.wi...@literacyworkshop.org] On > Behalf Of Dluhos Sara (31R024) > Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 11:09 AM > To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > Subject: [MOSAIC] Read aloud to start off the 7th grade > > I have always used Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher with my lower level seventh > graders. It is ONLY a read aloud (they do not ever have a copy in front of > them) to help get them started and motivated about books and > listening skills. Works like a charm. > > I want something similiar in topic (a cute funny story that kids can > relate to) > but a little more challenging for my honors classes this year. Any > ideas? It > will also be read aloud to them. > > Thanks in advance! > Sara > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
