In my experience with Reading and Writing and Young Adult Literature I have found that when using non-fiction books in and outside of the classroom that it benefits students in so many ways. The first way that it benefits them is by relating reading to their everyday lives. As most of you are aware of the many problems in a teenagers life, and not being fully informed of the unknowns until experiencing it. These books shed some light on things and help to prepare students for them when or before they happen. Experience can be and is often a tough lesson.
For example, our first love and how it feels to get your heart broken. This is not a good feeling no matter what age you are, but reading about it and having an idea of what its like helps you realize that your not the only one going through it. The Young Adult Literature books are a god send and help us realize that what we are going through is a normal experience. We also know as well that when we are 12 or 13 years old or a young adult that life is seen through such a different perspective, and so it's great to have a mentor besides our parents, and loved ones to help us and guide us through life. As a child growing up one of my favorite books to read was "Hello God it's me Margaret." This book helped me with most of the things that young girls go through when they are teenagers. I was so excited to read more Judy Blume books! It really motivated me to want to read more.
The second way that it's beneficial to students is through literacy and them enjoying what they read. Many students plain and simply don't like to read anymore. If teachers put the non-fiction books on the shelves in their room they are more readily available to the students. By teaching students to talk to author's on the internet, and by promoting books for them to read, students will grow to love reading. It's a fact that getting students to enjoy reading will increase their reading by leaps and bounds.When a student reads a book that helps them to understand drugs and alcohol, sex, gender, family, alienation, divorce, or whatever the theme may be, this leads to understanding of their everyday life, and they are definitely going to start reading more as a result. Putting books that they love to read in their hands, increases their enjoyment of reading.
The third reason that reading non-fiction books in school is so important is because they are informational and relate to the students.When a teacher challenges their students to read more books all and all this method works, and mainly because it motivates them. Working as a class and reading more than other classes in your school shows students how much they can accomplish working as a team and as an individual. It not only challenges them individually but also intellectually to learn more in the process.
Kelley, I agree that nonfiction is incredibly important! One of the biggest things we have to remember as educators is a majority of the reading we do as adults is nonfiction. If we don't give our students the tools they need to read nonfiction, then we are setting them up for failure as adults! I read a lot of fiction as an adult, but I'm probably one of the exceptions to the rule. This is a great post about the benefits of using nonfiction in the classroom!
ReplyDeleteKelley, I loved the part where you said, "Putting books that they love to read in their hands, increases their enjoyment of reading." I believe that motivation is the biggest asset in teaching. We somehow have to figure out how to get these students motivated to learn, after that we can then guide them along on their paths. Great post!
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