Nonfiction Reading Comprehension

Reading at grade level does not equal reading comprehension when reading fiction.

We assume our child will understand a fiction story because the book is at their reading level; however, reading is more than decoding.

Yes, I know, you have worked so hard to make sure your child can read and now, I tell you that decoding does not guarantee reading comprehension of fiction.

How can this be? Let me elaborate: lack of comprehension is not solely a decoding problem.

Reading comprehension is more than sounding out letters and blending sounds. Every time your child opens a fiction book, they might be finding themselves ill-prepared to read fiction with comprehension.

This lack of reading comprehension can be a result of limited background knowledge on the topic because of limited life experiences and/or limited non-fiction reading.

Limited Life Experiences

How are we to provide life experiences when we, as parents, have limited resources, time, and namely, money. I am here to suggest that your child’s exposure to a specific reading genre, non-fiction, can equally grow your child’s background knowledge, even if their life experiences are limited. Yes, put your passport away and breathe a sigh of relief.

Non-fiction Enhances the Reading Comprehension of Fiction  

Research has shown that background knowledge is essential to the comprehension of fiction. When embarking on the reading of a fiction book, your child will confront situations outside of their geography, time period, culture, and imagination.  

Hence, nonfiction can bridge the gap for your child who might have limited experiences and who brings limited prior knowledge to their fiction reading. 

Your child will confront narratives that are foreign to them;  however, when a child comes with a big repertoire of non-fiction reading, they can imagine, envision, and contemplate the world that the fiction writer is attempting to create.

This accumulation of non-fiction reading gives your child a mental library that they can access and apply to the new worlds created by fiction writers; yes, even worlds that are imaginary.

The reading of non-fiction  will not only provide mental flexibility for your child, but will bridge disparities in experiences.

Read More Non-fiction and Comprehend Fiction Better

Anytime your child is introduced to a new text, your child’s interest must be aroused. This can be done by helping them make connections to their prior knowledge from life experiences or the reading of non-fiction.

Through a simple graphic organizer designed by Donna Gogles you can help activate your child’s prior knowledge, so they can make the connection to the fiction they are about to read and will read.

1. Ask them, “What do you know?”

Activate your child’s knowledge. Have them list what they already know about a topic they will read about in their fiction reading. Make a list.

2. Ask them, “What do you want to learn?”

Consider what gaps your child might have about a certain topic that they will confront in their fiction reading. And give them the opportunity to list what they want to learn about the topic at hand. Choosing what they want to know will motivate them.

3. Ask them, “What did you actually learn?” 

Provide non-fiction reading books at their independent reading level, and read aloud those non-fiction books that are above their reading level.

Learn more about your child’s reading levels by signing up for a free online reading assessment.

Have your child read non-fiction at their independent reading level. These are books that they can read at their own. And encourage them to read at their instructional level the books that require some assistance from you.

Finally, you can read aloud those books that they can not read on their own.

After increasing their knowledge through reading or being read to, ask them to tell you what they have learned from their reading. The long list of knowledge they have gained will give them a feeling of accomplishment and will provide a bridge for the fiction topic they will read about.

Again, this simple graphic organizer will help your child feel like they can increase their knowledge through reading. Bringing more background knowledge to the page of a new fiction book will equip your child to comprehend more.

4. Quick activation of prior knowledge can be effective too.

Can non-fiction knowledge be built quickly by reading non-fiction related to fiction? Well, it certainly would not hurt and can be quite effective too.

The reading of non-fiction can be extensive or just enough to prepare your child for the fiction they will be reading.

Again, I always suggest that your child read non-fiction at their independent level. This will facilitate comprehension for your child when reading fiction.

In addition, it will provide quick access to essential ideas that will aid the understanding of a fiction story’s setting, for example. 

We certainly can’t provide a lifetime of experiences for our children in their short life span, but we can build their background knowledge as they read or hear non-fiction read to them. 

While your child might not be a lover of non-fiction, non-fiction plays a big role in providing background knowledge for their reading of fiction.

Your child may not travel to China and walk the Great Wall of China, but they can bring the mental image they have visualized in their memory as they read about the awe inspiring architecture. 

In a parent-tutor partnership, we can work to provide non-fiction reading that will prepare your child for the reading of a fiction book or book series. The familiarity with the subject, often called topical knowledge, will give your child a real connection with the setting of a story, the personality of a character, or  the geography of a setting. More importantly, your child’s reading comprehension will increase in both genres: fiction and non-fiction.

Encourage and support the growth of background knowledge in all topics through the reading of non-fiction. As a result, this knowledge will connect the dots in your child’s reading of fiction.

There is no stopping your child: their comprehension of fiction will shoot through the roof with the increase of non-fiction reading.