Kate Garbia

 

Overview

Fiction texts provide readers with real life stories that are relatable and, at the same time, a safe distance from reality. Fiction texts include a setting, plot, character(s), viewpoint, and theme. The story could be about anything. It could be any level of reality whether it is so close to a true story that it is comparable to an actual event or completely imagination. The reader feels safe when reading fiction. They can take it to whatever degree they choose to take it. They might encounter opinion and facts, but they can interpret them anyway they see fit. They are reading for pleasure and building their vocabulary along with their imagination.

There are several categories of fiction texts. The most popular sort of literature for children, especially independent readers, is realistic fiction. These would include Mystery, Adventure, Drama, Sports, Humor, and Animals, among others. Children feel that they can relate to the characters and storylines of these types of books. The benefits that they get from reading realistic fiction include the following:

• insights to oneself,
• engagement and understanding,
• seeing models of how to confront life experiences,
• seeing models of how to cope with contemporary issues,
• building awareness of ones existence,
• the ability to observe and empathize with other’s problems,
• viewing other cultures and other geographic regions, allowing for a broader perspective on viewing the world (Hancock 2004).

Another category of fiction text is based on historical facts, is set in the past, and can link to social studies. This category is called historical fiction. The great thing about historical fiction is that it teaches about past events, but still adds realism to the event so that the reader feels engaged. It is not a book of facts being told to the reader; rather, it tells a story that gives the reader a better understanding of another time and place. It still lets them relate to the characters, all the while providing actual historical context without the reader being bored or uninterested. Some types of historical fiction include the following:

• Imaginary characters that have been historically researched,
• Historical period pieces,
• Time travel, and
• Personal chronicles.

 

Description of Classroom Practices

• Literature response journals are unstructured sourcebooks that captures the reader’s responses to what they read. They include spontaneous recordings of thoughts. They are usually done after each chapter of a book for more mature readers, or as soon as any thought comes to mind. For younger readers, they can be done by drawing a favorite part of the story. There are two types of responses: text-centered and reader-centered responses.

• Character journalsare written diaries kept by the reader as they assume the role of a character as the book is read. They actually become the character, writing in first person voice. The journals are used to capture the interactive process of reading and writing. The reader becomes very involved, interested, an insider, and a spectator at once, and aware of their own beliefs and questions themselves, leading to new insights.  

• Literature conversationsare small discussion groups that allow readers to take meaning from and bring meaning to the text by listening to and talking with other readers who have the same interests.

• Dramatic Story Reenactment allows readers to recreate the story by playing a certain role. This not only enhances their creativity and imagination, but furthers their understanding of what they read.

 

 

Family Activities

• Have an older sibling read to younger siblings.

• Have your child read to you, or if they are not yet at the independent reading level, have them look at the pictures and tell you the story as they see it. Then you can go back and read it together.

• Children can listen to an audio recording of a book while looking at the pages of the same book. This can also be done by recording the child reading a book aloud and having the child look over the same book while listening to him or herself.

• Encourage children to read from their own menu while at a restaurant. Anywhere you are that has signs, billboards, directions, can be great opportunities for your child to practice reading.

• Have your child make his or her own book from a plain sheet of white paper or construction paper. Have her fold it in half and then quarter it. Now she can make a four-page story. If the child needs more pages, just make another book from another sheet of paper and staple it together.

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