Our elementary school students are strengthening their reading stamina in non-fiction. They demonstrated their comprehension skills through an activity last week that focused on sharing with their peers and teachers what they had learned by reading two different non-fiction books on the same subject.
Students were each assigned two books to read about an animal. These books included topics such as butterflies, ants and horses. Students read the books and used sticky notes to highlight sections they thought were interesting and important. The students used their texts to respond to different questions about the animals in addition to questions about how the text was structured to answer those questions. They then demonstrated that they know how to use the table of contents, chapter headings, and other text features to review a non-fiction book quickly.
Working together in pairs, students engaged with the material, explaining how they learned the different facts in new and exciting ways. We are grateful for our supportive teachers who continuously create a positive environment for learning.