Dear Parents/Guardians, 

You may have noticed that when your child takes a test on an AR book that is Nonfiction it is on a lower level than his Fiction level usually is and that maybe his score is lower.  This is because Nonfiction books truly are harder to read and comprehend than Fiction.  The AR program recommends that children drop back some in their level  when choosing a Nonfiction book.  

There are things that you can do at home to help your child become more comfortable with and more successful with Nonfiction books so that he will understand more of the book and remember it longer.  These elements of nonfiction are taught at school, but it will always be a good idea for your child to hear them over again from you.

Teach your child to look for and make use of the following features in a Nonfiction book:

Table of contents at the front of the book.

Headings for the different sections of the book.

Photos and captions beneath them.

Maps, Charts, Graphs, and Tables.  These are important because they show information in a different way instead of just telling the reader with words.

Bold Print. This usually tells us a word is in the glossary.

Glossary at the back of the book.  Tells us definitions of some words in the book.

Index at the back of the book.  Tells you what pages to look on to find specific information.

I hope you find this information useful.  Let me know if  you have questions I can answer in the next newsletter.  (Just send a note to school to your child’s teacher and they will give it to me, or you may email me at campbeaa@rss.k12.nc.us).

Arlis Campbell, Reading Specialist