I am reading nonfiction titles. I will share some new titles soon. Promise. But, this week I just have to highlight some more of the book love being celebrated in my room for nonfiction reading!

Every January, we implement Nonfiction Reading Day as part of Reading Workshop. Of course, students can and do read nonfiction throughout the week but Tuesdays are the day we do more nonfiction book talks, share a variety of responses to nonfiction text, teach about the features and most importantly, provide lots of time to read nonfiction titles. It is noisy. The room buzzes with learning and chatter. Lots of sharing. Lots of wondering. Lots of reading more to find out more.

Many books I book talk need the “sticky note list” for who gets to read it next. This book about stick insects was passed on quickly today as the first reader was so offended by a photograph of a bird eating a stick insect that she passed it off to other interested readers and went and talked to the stick bugs in our cage, consoling them and murmuring proof of their safety in the tank! Then, she found a fact book and settled into reading.

I love that nonfiction reading often means leaping up to search for places on the map!

Nonfiction reading lends itself to discussion and sharing. Yes, there is lots of talk. But it is purposeful talk. On topic talk. Teaching talk.

I often observe rereading happening between students. “Listen to this.” “Hold on, let me read that again? “Do you think that means . . . ?” “Well it also says . . .”

I am also noticing students choosing a few books on the same topic and reading to confirm and verify what they are learning between texts.

These girls (above) are reading Grow with Me Ladybug by Kate Riggs and Zoom in on Ladybugs by Melissa Stewart

Important thinking happens as students include their thinking on Fact/React sheets (thanks to Adrienne Gear for the inspiration for this BLM) We are working to “react” in various ways: Does the fact inspire a question or a wonder? Confirm something we already knew a bit about? Confuse us? Connect to something we have experienced? Make us have a physical or emotional reaction? Lots of thinking is being shared

Students are loving our focus on nonfiction. One little reader remarked last Tuesday, “I wish everyday could be nonfiction day!” “It can,” I pointed out. “Oh yeah!” she said. “I’m going to read more of this book tomorrow!”

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2015. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!