Spot the Details

Nonfiction books have answers to questions if you read carefully, you will find them!  Here are a couple suggestions to help your child read for details to boost their comprehension.

Read around the text- The pages of many nonfiction books are covered with “extras” that other stories don’t have(headings, photo captions, an index, a glossary).  Point out these features.  Then ask your child what questions they have about the topic that the book might answer. Maybe your child is reading a story about Bears.  They might ask, “What do bears eat?” or “Where do they live?”  Help them read the story, and see how many answers they can find.

Pair Fiction with Nonfiction- Together, read a story like Goldilocks and the Three bears (James Marshall) followed by  a nonfiction book such as Bears (Deborah Hodge).  As you read the second book, encourage your child to look for ways that real bears are different from the fictional ones.