Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Fiction:

The typical structure of a fictional text can be something that will help English language learners.  Once learn about the elements of fiction (character, plot, theme, and setting), they will be able to get a better idea of what the book is about.  Teachers can provide graphic organizers for students to identify the characters, plot, theme, and settings of a fictional book they are reading.

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction can often be more difficult for students to access.  The many features of non-fiction text may be overwhelming to students if they do not know how to use them.  Students benefit from having non-fiction text features taught explicitly.  Teachers can model how to use different features of non-fiction text (such as the index, table of contents, glossary, etc.), and give students lots of practice.  English language learners will also benefit understanding different types of non-fiction, such as expository, narrative, persuasive and descriptive.  It’s important to relay to learners that these different types of writing are used for different purposes.  You can also help students better understand non-fiction writing by teaching text structures.  There are many graphic organizers you can use for this.  Text structures include problem/solution, compare/contrast, sequence, and cause and effect.