Reflection on Teaching Lessons: Nonficiton

• What students learned and which students struggled with the lesson?

During the first lesson I taught in my unit I introduced my students to nonfiction and compared it to fiction. Together, my students and I created a chart where we wrote the definitions of nonfiction and fiction. Prior to writing the definitions I showed students examples of nonfiction and fiction texts. For example, I showed students books that they are familiar with and asked them questions about them. I showed them a Curious George book and asked them if monkeys really go to outer space, and do animals really talk for another book. They all responded with giggly “no’s.”  After that I read to them a nonfiction book where I stopped along the way and had them turn to a partner and talk about what they have learned so far. After I read the book we discussed the reading as a whole class and reviewed nonfiction again. I feel that this lesson was a success and all students were able to participate in it and complete one of my main objectives for my unit, which was, Students will be able to determine the difference between nonfiction and fiction texts based on their prior knowledge and the exploration of nonfiction texts. This will be done during large group/ “turn to your partner” (partner share). Students will share the difference between nonfiction and fiction texts to their partners then to the large group. I don’t really think any students struggled with this lesson or the ones after it where we took a look at more nonfiction books and used the comprehension strategy “wondering” to make sense of the texts. All students were able to tell me what a nonfiction text is and what a fiction text is. It was important that I listened in on my students conversations while they were discussing the reading and it was even more important that I visited with my students during independent reading time asking them what nonfiction is. Students had the opportunity to go “shopping” for new books for in their book boxes. They had to exchange out some fiction texts for some nonfiction texts. While watching them go shopping they were all able to show me their nonfiction books. They were super excited to get more nonfiction books in their book boxes and I was excited that they knew which books were fiction and nonfiction. Even my lowest learners were able to participate in these mini lessons that I did for my unit. They were given the opportunity to voice their thinking to friends during “turn to your partner” and they even would raise their hands to share what they discussed with their partners. My lessons have not been too hard or too easy for any learners. I believe that all my students are benefiting from my unit because not only is it introducing them to new topics, but allowing them to explore new topics as a reading community and independently. 

• What are alternate reads of your students’ performance or products?

As mentioned above, my students are showing me that they understand the difference between nonfiction and fiction texts by coming to me and being like, “Miss Perelli, this book is a nonfiction book!” or “Miss Perelli this is a fiction book.” My students were also able to shop for nonfiction books alone and when I went to them they were able to point out to me which books in their book boxes were nonfiction. They are also able to explain to me things that they are learning when they are reading nonfiction books. We had talked about how nonfiction books teach us things, facts. They are books about true things. I am really impressed with my students performance and how they are catching on so quickly.

• What did you learn about your students’ literacy practices that extend beyond your objectives?

My students are working so well as a reading community and sharing their ideas. We read books together and talk about them together and right now in our reading community we are reading nonfiction books together. I have really been stressing to students that it is important that we share ideas different from our partners and other partners. I am so impressed with how well they are doing with this. When we do whole class discussions my first graders are able to share with me and their classmates their partners idea or thinking and their own thinking. It is blowing my mind on how fast they are catching on and how well they are understanding the concept of a reading community. I am trying to explain to students that in a reading community we can learn about new topics and talk about them but we also have the opportunity to explore those topics on our own. It has been a lot of fun so far.

• When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional support?

Not only are we doing nonfiction in our reading community but we are doing it in writers workshop as well. I feel that students are being exposed to the topic across the board. At this time I don’t think any students need to be re-taught nonfiction yet.

• If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and how do you think the changed would improve students’ learning?

I think I would do more of the extension ideas that are in my lesson guide book. I think all students would benefit from the extension activities because it would further expose them to the topic/comprehension strategy that we are working on at the time. The only issue is time and that is sad. I also think that it is important that students are exposed to a topic like nonfiction in all areas of learning and that is very easy to do because the stuff that we learn in school is true stuff! :)