Nonfiction

Less than 4 minutes a day.

That’s how much time children spend reading nonfiction daily.

Sure, children are reading outside school—about 25 minutes a day, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010). Most of that time is spent reading fiction.

While launching reading and writing workshops in the classroom it is easy to get caught up in fiction. Fictional picture books are abundant, but our students need to see us reading nonfiction. On average only about 9% of our classroom libraries are comprised of nonfiction. So, how do we increase nonfiction reading without out-of-pocket cost?

Here are some resources that you can read, or have students read. They are kid friendly, up-to date, and inviting.

Wonderopolis

A place for curious minds where a Wonder of the Day provides “learning moments in everyday life.” This website is great for younger learners who need the page read for them and older learners who are looking for something new to discover.

DOGO News “Fodder for your classroom”

The site can be used as a place for students to find articles, or can be used by the teacher to create lessons. Teacher accounts are free. Teachers have the ability to create lesson plans using news articles to engage students in current events by using social learning.  Students can go to the class page to find articles the teacher has assigned.

New-O-Matic, Daily Reading for Kids (app, K-2)

Keep up with current events from around the world. The app provides 5 articles a day at a reading level that kids can comprehend. Articles include slide shows, videos, maps, and can be read to the student.

To find other “Great Websites for Kids” click here.

For more information on this topic, click here.