Empowering All Students Through Non-fiction Reading

Description

PEDC 9172 Empowering All Students Through Non-fiction Reading
3 Graduate Level or Inservice Credits/ 45 Hours Instructor: Sandy Catapano  April 1-29, May 1-30, June 1-30, July 1-30, August 1-30, September 1-29, December 1-30

University of the Pacific

According to Reading Rockets, “Children are naturally fascinated by the lives of real people and the world around them. And building background knowledge is key to children’s academic success.” Not only does nonfiction reading help students develop their background knowledge but nonfiction reading also helps students acquire a more robust vocabulary. The more students are exposed to non-fiction, the more well rounded they become. One of the biggest academic challenges students face in the classroom is the ability to understand non-fiction literature. Since the Common Core Standards have been implemented, there has been a tremendous shift in the balance of fiction to nonfiction. Close reading is a key requirement of the common core standards and students are now expected to develop a deeper understanding of the information found in texts. Students are also now expected to read half fiction and half informational by the end of elementary school. By the end of high school, according to the CCSS guidelines, students will be reading 30 percent fiction verses 70 percent nonfiction across all academic disciplines. Therefore, the better equipped we are as educators, the more confident and prepared we will be to help all our students succeed in the areas of nonfiction. With the right tools and resources, educators can find ways to help all students succeed not only in the classroom but most importantly in life. By the end of this course, you will have a handful of tips and strategies of how to engage your most reluctant reader in the world of nonfiction. This course is intended for all educators K-12.