Reading nonfiction text is very different than reading fiction text. Reading nonfiction text is its own skill. Yes, we still make inferences, we still question, we still react. However, we pick up clues to help us differently.
This past week we dived into reading nonfiction articles. I created a metaphor for the students to help them tackle this skill. The metaphor is the dinner table discussion. The Dinner Table Discussion Topic When we sit down at the table, we usually talk about a topic. Well, the same goes in an article. A topic is 1-2 words that tells what the article is about. Usually the topic is repeated throughout an article. It is also found in the title usually, and many times pictures and captions lead us to identify the topic. In our class we have practiced circling or underlining the topic in red. Main Idea So what? Usually, when we have a dinner table conversation, we do not just shout out topics. We say something about them. What we say is our main idea. Just as in conversations, authors have a main idea about a topic. In an article, we can find clues about the main idea in the subtitle, the first and last paragraph, and the captions. It also helps to find the main idea of each paragraph and add them up to figure out what is the author's overall point. In our class we have been underlining the main idea in green. Supporting Key Details I don't know about your families, but in my family if you are a younger sibling and state a main idea at the dinner table without proof, watch out! Just kidding, I promise my own children are sweet darlings. Anyway, what would happen to a table without legs? It wouldn't be a table, just a top on the floor. The same goes with a main idea. It needs to rest on legs, or in this case, proof aka text evidence aka supporting key details. With orange highlighters in hand, our detective work begins and we scan for any evidence that proves our main idea. Sometimes the clues are in the text. Sometimes they are in maps, captions, charts, diagrams, photos, captions, and drawings. Our eyes need to be wide open as clues are everywhere! So, the next time you sit down for a family dinner, feel free to preface the discussion with some of the language we use in class. Ask what is the topic you want to talk about? So what about it? What's the main idea? Can you prove it? What are your supporting details that tell me more about the main idea? Below are pics of an example and of a nonfiction text feature chart to help with nonfiction reading. Hope your next dinner table conversation is lively and full o f details! Comments are closed.
|
Welcome to Room 314!
Have fun following our fabulous 4th grade journey! Important Dates
August 22nd- First Day!
Archives
September 2018
Categories
|