Ideas for Promoting NonFiction Reading Among High School Students

1
Ideas for Promoting Non-Fiction Reading Among
High School Students

• Cathy Belben, Librarian
• Burlington-Edison High School
• cbelben_at_be.wednet.edu

2
What Kind of Non-Fiction?

• Not research-type non-fiction
• Any non-fiction written both to entertain and
  inform
• Can include biographies, memoirs, humor books,
  instructional materials, etc.
• Intent is to encourage reading for pleasure as
  opposed to just for research purpose
• Expose kids to wider range of leisure reading
  beyond fiction

3
Why Promote Non-Fiction?

• Important to introduce students to many forms of
  quality writing
• Important for the WASL (at least one NF item on
  test)
• Meets Washington State Essential Learningsread
  (and write) for a variety of purposes in variety
  of modes
• Reading a variety of types of writing helps
  develop writing skills.
• Brain research shows that the more different
  varieties of information and modes students are
  exposed to do, the better they write.

4
More Reasons to Promote Non-Fiction

• There are NF books that might attract non-readers
  who cant seem to find fiction to suit their
  tastes
• Its fun, and students are motivated by fun.
• Many quality non-fiction books are humorous in
  addition to being informational.

5
Still More Reasons to Promote Non-Fiction

• Theres a wealth of good information and writing
  in non-fiction
• Expand students ideas of how stories can be told
  and information delivered.
• Teaches them to recognize and use various
  features of NF texts (indices, photo captions,
  subheadings, etc).

6
To Whom Should We Promote Non-Fiction

• Students
• Independent readers
• Classes
• Teachers
• Encourage the reading of a NF book as part of
  course curriculum
• Encourage reading aloud a NF book to class (or
  parts of NF book)

7
How Do We Promote NF Reading With Students?

• Find out what they want to read survey
• Create mini-displays with tabletoppers (plastic
  display holders)Use pictures of book covers and
  brief descriptions of books
• Take photos of students and post in the library,
  along with a mention of their favorite NF books.
• Advertise newly acquired books in the daily
  bulletin
• Cook something and serve it as you recommend a
  cookbook written especially for teens

8
More Ways to Promote Non-Fiction with Students

• Sponsor a trivia contest take questions from NF
  books in your collection require that students
  document sources, offer rewards
• Display a Book of the Day at the check-out
  counter (see display)
• Create a one-page insert for the school newspaper
  that advertises new books and services available
  in the library (better yet have students create
  it!)

9
still more ways to promote NF books with
students

• Create special library-within-a-library
  collections (I create one per year) that focus on
  a specific area crafts, music, sports, natural
  history, leadership, medical memoirs, etc.
• Host guest speakers focusing on specific areas
  and then create bulletin boards and other
  displays that highlight that speakers specialty
  (for example, we recently had a doctor come to
  talk about medical careers, and a bulletin
  board/book display featured career books, memoirs
  about doctors, etc.). A similar display was
  created when firefighters came.

10
How Do We Promote NF Reading With Teachers?

• Start where they are if they already require
  kids to read a biography, start theresee if
  they expand to other genres of NF
• Keep them informed about new NF books that have
  been added to the library via email, mailbox
  flyers, and displays on tables at faculty
  meetings.
• Send a monthly letter about library services that
  highlights new materials in the library
• Contact individual teachers about opportunities
  for collaborating in the library.

11
What Kinds of Collaboration Can We Do With
Teachers?

• Collaborate with leadership teacher have
  students read a leadership title (see article and
  bib)
• Collaborate with English teachers have students
  read memoirs and write their own (see article and
  bib)
• Collaborate with science teachers for Natural
  History unit (see article and bib)
• Collaborate with P.E. teachers to for reading
  your way to fitness promotion (see article and
  bib).

12
How Can Teachers Use Non-Fiction in the Classroom?

• These are activities the librarian can assist
  the teacher in organizing by providing excerpts,
  finding good material in books and online, and
  modeling or participating in the class.

13

• Reading aloud non-fiction material by the
  teacher and why this is important
• Invitational Education (builds rapport with
  students creates fun)
• Development of listening skills
• Modeling good reading and speaking skills

14

• What to read aloud (Librarians can forward
  reading material as they find them)
• HUMOR related to their subject
• Newspaper or magazine articles or excerpts
• Jokes
• Quality non-fiction books (whole or parts)
• Students work with permission
• Their own writing!

15
Ways For Teachers to Use NF in the Classroom
Power Point Slide Shows

• Collaborate with librarian to create PowerPoint
  slide show of book covers with brief descriptions
  of books (include a question-and-answer sheet)
• Sample slide shows on my webpage include
  psychology and memoirs
• www.be.wednet.edu/Hs/library/library.html

16
Using NF In the Classroom Internet Book Searches

• Similar to a WebQuest
• Students receive list of book review sites and
  read at least 5-10 reviews
• Students take notes on titles that appeal to them
• Students use OPAC to locate books in the library

17
More Ways Teachers Can Use NF

• Editorial Forumstudents sign up for a date
  bring in editorial that they read to class. They
  have also written discussion questions that they
  use with class.
• Sign up for free newspapers with local paper
  integrate into curriculum and/or make available
  for free reading
• Solicit donations of magazine subscriptions for
  use in the classroom

18
Specific Non-Fiction Promotions
19
Open Up and Say AhhhhhhMedical Non-Fiction

• Invite in a doctor to talk about applying to med
  school and preparing for a career as a physician
• Bring in other medical professionals EMTs,
  nurses, physical therapists, alternative medical
  providers
• Collaborate with the schools medical club to
  organize a field trip to the hospital
• Display books create bulletin board
• Daily medical fact in school bulletin

20
Psych! Books about psychological issues and
disorders

• Collaborate with psychology teacher to
• Present booktalks establish required reading or
  extra credit options
• Create and do webquest
• Organize careers in psychology mini-unit in
  library with guest speakers

21
On the Road Again Travel Literature
Especially for Teens

• Great unit to promote with a social studies class
• Excerpts from various travel books make terrific
  read-alouds
• Audio books a great way to share travel lit
  Bill Bryson, Best American Travel Lit, Etc.
• Good end-of-year or beginning-of-year promotion
  (Where are you going this summer? Where did you
  go this summer?)

22
Another Day, Another Dollar Books about people
on the job

• Offers variety from usual career researchless
  stale than traditional books about careers
• Consider creating a separate section in library
  just for career materials
• Great opportunity to collaborate with school
  career specialist

23
Games People Play Sports Literature

• Libraries CAN promote physical fitness, health
  and well-being (see article)
• Excellent opportunity for doing webquests with
  P.E. and/or health classes
• Have a health fair in the libraryguest speakers,
  student-made booths, etc.

24
Memoirs, Autobiographies, Biographies

• Request copy of my Medium article
• Memoirs (my own opinion) different from
  autobiographies in these ways
• The focus is on the literary merit of the
  storytelling
• The author is not necessarily well-known
• The story is usually less a cradle to grave
  account of a life more of a snapshot of a
  particular experience, time period, or theme
  running through the authors life

25
Feathered Friends Animals and their Role in
Our Lives

• Bring your pet to work day?
• Collaborate to arrange field trip to local animal
  rehab site, game farm, etc.
• Guest speakers vet, student with guide dog in
  training, animal behaviorist or psychologist
• Display with students and teachers pets

26
If You Liked A Child Called It Stories About
Difficult Childhoods

• Capitalize on this popular title by leading kids
  to more literary titles
• Collaborate with counselors for Child Abuse
  Awareness Week
• Arrange community service opportunity with
  disadvantaged younger students
• Adopt-a-family program
• Book drive

27
Readers are Leaders Books About Leaders and
Leadership

• Collaborate with ASB Advisor to create collection
  of titles (they might even help fund it!)
• Bulletin board ASB and student leaders photos
  with their favorite books also community leaders
  with their favorite books
• Opportunity to promote books about lesser-known
  historical leaders and their accomplishments
• See my article in Medium Winter 2001

28
A Walk in the Woods Natural History and
Environmental NF

• Work with outdoor ed teachers and/or outdoor club
  advisor and/or agriculture teacher to create
  promotions
• Hold public forums for students in the library
  debate environmental issues
• Create permanent bulletin board of newspaper
  article about the environments (great T.A.
  project!)
• See my article online www.be.wednet.edu/Hs/library
  /library.html
• and in upcoming Knowledge Quest

29
Summary

• Leisure reading can expand beyond fictional
  material
• Reading non-fiction can be entertaining and
  educational
• There is a wealth of good writing and
  entertaining subject matter in NF books
• There are a variety of ways to encourage students
  and teachers to read, enjoy, and learn from
  non-fiction.