For the Love of Non-Fiction in Primary Years and Beyond

Gryffindor, the Mysterious Benedict Society and Min Li from the Valley of the Fruitless Mountain are not just random proper nouns in Grace’s house, but household words used passionately in conversation whether it is about rating the newest middle-school fantasy book, a head-scratching riddle or cultivating a deeper appreciation for Chinese folktales. Grace has a shelf chock-full of novels from her favourite authors and the only issues she has ever had with reading has been getting her to quit when it’s time to do so or returning library books before they are due (as they blend in so well with the books in every part of the house!).

After encouraging Grace to follow her passion for reading her parents have witnessed the benefits not only in her language development but in the sheer joy she has riffling through pages at the end of a novel rather than clicking and tapping on a smartphone. Now out of the blue it seems, Grace’s teacher wants to know if she can read more non-fiction. Her parents want to know why. Does this situation sound familiar?

While fiction books are certainly a treasure in their own right, non-fiction books have a plethora of benefits and, as a lover of non-fiction books myself, I would say they have a special magic of their own.

Benefits of Non-Fiction Books for Students

Children learn a lot of wonderful, descriptive vocabulary by reading fiction, but reading an array of non-fiction exposes them to a multitude of words that they might not otherwise encounter. This is important for their acquisition of word meaning.

The reading of non-fiction is also effective in activating children’s prior knowledge on a topic and encouraging them to use higher order thinking skills as they engage with and organise new information. They learn to apply comprehension strategies to different types of text and in the different ways information is presented. Understanding and appreciating non-fiction goes hand-in-hand with the academic and life skillset of learning how to write various non-fiction texts too. It also contributes to children’s general knowledge, which in turn contributes to many areas of learning such as multicultural literacy, social awareness and the capacity for more creative and critical thinking.

Of course, the opportunities are endless for children to learn multidisciplinary skills outside of language learning through non-fiction. Additionally, reading regularly from different disciplines, such as science, mathematics or even culinary books for example, expose them to different ways of understanding and interacting with the world. This empowers them with a choice of frameworks they can use for problem-solving and helps them collaborate with others as they can more easily understand other perspectives.

Having learned a lot of facts about a topic they are interested in can also contribute to your child’s growth as a confident communicator as he or she shares what he or she has learnt and has the knowledge needed to ask more sophisticated questions about a topic.

Last but certainly not least, there’s something about non-fiction that is uniquely inspiring because it happened in real-life. Learning with wonder about the pyramids, the amazing diversity of plants and animals in a rainforest, biographies of people who have not only survived but thrived through adversity as well as new inventions and discoveries on our planet and in outer space can leave the reader in awe of this astounding planet we live on, the solar system and beyond. The inspiration that comes from reading non-fiction can help children find and nurture new, life-long passions and show them that what some might see as unbelievable can be possible.

3 Ways to Encourage the Enjoyment of Non-Fiction

Bridge the gap

Many of the greatest fiction fans find themselves as adults working towards a Literature degree at some point. These students must read plenty of non-fiction to learn about the historical context (social, political, cultural and environmental) of the mountains of fiction they consume. However, they do not usually seem to mind because they understand it gives the plays, poetry and novels they love so much more depth and meaning.

Encourage your child to borrow or buy books or magazines that will give context to their favourite genres, authors or novels. For example, if Zackary adored reading Tales of a Fifth-Grade Knight by Douglas Gibson, he might be convinced to try the entertaining history book, The Thrifty Guide to Medieval Times: A Handbook for Time Travelers by Jonathan W. Stokes, or at least some historical fiction about knights and castles. If Xin Yan’s favourite protagonists are kind and brave, she might be encouraged to read about children in real-life who are making a difference like in Compassionate Kids: A Children's Book About Kindness and Love by Stacy C. Bauer.  If Chloe reads any and all fantasy fiction, she might appreciate Mythical Science by Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, which dives deep into facts about common myths about our world.

Make Connections

Encourage your child to go on a fact-finding mission about an upcoming visit to the zoo, aquarium, park, restaurant or foreign country well before you go. He or she can research online, read brochures, or ask a librarian (or one of our teachers) to help him or her find a book on the topic. Ask your child to share the new knowledge with the family, to help you prepare for the trip and / or to make a list of fun facts which he or she illustrates.     

Model the Behaviour

Share some non-fiction texts you read for pleasure or a particular purpose with your child. If he or she sees you valuing non-fiction or can witness your passion for a topic, he or she will become more motivated to discover what kind of non-fiction is useful or speaks to them. Some parents read the same non-fiction articles as their child and this can lead to a discussion where both can exchange ideas and opinions on the topic.

I hope this article has been helpful in giving a bit of background as to why primary school students need non-fiction in their lives and how we can guide them to realise not only the purpose but the lovability of non-fiction texts. Happy reading!