Blog 9

 

 

Blog #9

Both texts (at a kindergarten level) provide pictures to support learning.  Both texts provide opportunities to practice reading, but the leveled reader is designed for independent reading of the kindergarteners.  The non-fiction text provides information, but most students access the information through the pictures or with help from an adult.  The reading level for this non-fiction text is higher than a kindergarten reading level. 

I like to think of the two texts as partners, each doing a different job.  The non-fiction text extends the learning provided in the level reader.  The level reader focuses on the reading concepts and uses dinosaurs to make connections.  Children learn a few facts during the leveled reader, but I have found that children have a high interest in dinosaurs and wish to learn more.  That is where the non-fiction text comes in to play.  The non-fiction text really focuses on the facts about dinosaurs.

I truly believe that each text has many opportunities for learner and children need to learn how to access information from each of the genres.  As children progress through school, they will be expected to be able to read and understand both fiction and non-fiction text, but they usually need help learning how to access the information.  One way to provide this learning is to provide many opportunities and expose children to the different genres.