Nonfiction Strategies That Work Do This--Not That!

Teachers are being bombarded with ideas for teaching nonfiction, but what really works? In this essential book, dynamic author Lori G. Wilfong describes ten best practices for teaching nonfiction and how to implement them in the classroom. She also points out practices that should be avoided, helping you figure out which strategies to ditch and which to embrace.

Topics covered include?

• Finding quality, differentiated texts to teach content
• Selecting support strategies with purpose
• Providing students with a range of scaffolds for effective summary writing
• Purposely selecting vocabulary words to support content learning
• Working with students to develop strategies to cite textual evidence
• Using text structure as both a reading and writing tool for analyzing nonfiction
• And much more!

Every chapter begins with an engaging scenario and ends with action steps to help you get started. The book also contains tons of handy templates that you can reproduce and use in your own classroom.

1 Select and instruct nonfiction support strategies with purpose

2 Provide students with a range of scaffolds for effective summary writing

3 Implement quality, differentiated nonfiction texts to teach language arts standards

4 Purposely select and study vocabulary words to support nonfiction reading

5 Work with content area colleagues to select nonfiction topics that cross the curriculum

6 Work with students to develop strategies to cite evidence when working with all texts

7 Create and scaffold varied and interesting nonfiction writing assignments that range from informal to formal, depending on purpose

8 Use text structure as both a reading and writing tool to assist students in analyzing any nonfiction text

9 Encourage independent reading of nonfiction texts as part of balanced self-selected reading diet

10 Use nonfiction for active comprehension strategies like Readers’ Theatre, Tableaux and Character Walks

Lori G. Wilfong is a former middle school language arts teacher, current Associate Professor in Middle Childhood Education at Kent State University, frequent conference presenter, and forever supporter of teachers working to weave literacy into their classrooms.