Hartman1996 Using Informational Books

Using Informational Books - 1

USING INFORMATIONAL BOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM:

LETTING THE FACTS (AND RESEARCH) SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Douglas K. Hartman, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh

©Red Brick Learning, 2002
All Rights Reserved


W
e live in an age fueled by Nonfiction books are the centerpiece in
information. When we slide helping students become better and
out of bed in the morning we better at managing information.
begin managing information Nonfiction books serve a number of
about our day. What should I wear? purposes—especially if used well. In
(based on the weather forecast, work or the pages that follow I outline many
social calendar information, etc.). Which reasons why nonfiction books should be
route to work should I take? (based on used with students in all grades and how
radio traffic reports, signage along the to use the books well. Knowing this will
roadway, or your observations of traffic not only energize your own teaching,
flow). How should I design tomorrow’s but broaden the vision of colleagues
reading lesson? (based on state when they see the difference it makes
standards, the school schedule, trade for students—both now and in their
and textbook resources, future student information-fueled future.
needs, and how well this week’s lessons
went). Should I buy that new sofa for the WHY USE NONFICTION BOOKS?
family room? (based on the checkbook The evidence from everyday experience
ledger, district check stub total, bank suggests that informational books:
statement, credit card statement, and
prime interest rate). • satisfy and broaden curiosity,
• provide breadth and depth of
And just when we’ve “burned” through information,
one day’s supply of information, • offer accurate information,
another is on the horizon. Almost as an • provide models for informational
afterthought, we manage all this writing,
information for years, forgetting all the • challenge readers to read critically,
preparation and practice it took to • help present familiar things in new
become proficient at it. As educators, ways,
our job is not to forget; it is to remember • promote exploration,
what it’s like for a kindergartner, fourth- • simulate direct experience, and
grader, or middle-schooler to learn how • connect readers and reading to the
to manage information, and to then help real world.
them learn to do it better and better, so
that one day when they have burned In other words, nonfiction books help
through a day’s supply of information students feel, see, and know in ways
they will have done it in a way that was that no textbook can. Students can learn
almost an afterthought. facts from a textbook, but they learn to
read passionately and critically with
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nonfiction trade books. Textbooks have but in the end nonfiction books pave the
so many authors that they end up way for the thrill of reading more.
having no unique voice or point of view;
nonfiction trade books directly reveal By using informational books like
the author’s point of view. Textbooks Smelling (2000), Clouds (1998),
cover many topics but none of them in- Vibrations (2000), or an entire set of
depth; nonfiction trade books focus on a books on plant life, you can interest
topic with greater resolution. children in reading more because they
want to do so—not because they are
For example, a textbook may mention rewarded by someone for doing so.
Booker T. Washington, who started the And once a child’s enduring interests
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. But a are set loose, that child is likely to read
nonfiction trade book such as Margo more—now and in the years to come
McLoone’s (1997) Booker T. Washington (Alexander, 1997).
makes the Institute’s founding and
Washington’s part in it real, vivid, and Prepare Students for Later Academic
important to students. McLoone tells and Adult Life. If you really want to
the story of Washington’s early life, the prepare a middle schooler for later
events that lead him to found the success, teach that student how to
Institute, and the ideals that guided his fluently read, write, and critique
leadership. A textbook may say that informational discourse. The research
Washington founded Tuskegee on workplace, community, and
Institute, but a nonfiction trade book academic performance all indicate that
like Booker T. Washington places nonfiction literacy is central to long-
students where they can feel, see, and term success and survival (Hull, 1997;
know what it would be like to start a Spiro, Vispoel, Schmitz,
school. It brings perspective and life to Samarapungavan, & Boerger, 1987;
the two-dimensional textbook. Stuart, 1999; Whetzel, 1992). You can be
an avid reader of fiction, but your
There are also research-based reasons employers, council members, and
for using nonfiction books in your professors will expect you to locate, sort,
classroom. analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and
produce nonfiction texts with great ease
Motivate Students to Read. If you and skill.
want to motivate a reluctant first grader
to read more, find a path into literature By using nonfiction books like The
that fits the child’s interests and Grizzly Bear (1997), The Civil War
experiences. The research evidence (2001), Mountaineering Adventures
indicates that many emerging (and (2001), or an entire set on American
experienced) readers find that path civics, you can equip your students to
through nonfiction books (Caswell & read and write informational texts
Duke, 1998; Worthy, Moorman, & critically and well. Without this skill,
Turner, 1999). Children can be enticed they will lack the most important tool
with narratives and other forms of text, for contemporary survival—how to
gather, work through, and communicate
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knowledge-based information might have fluent readers of every
(Hartman, 2000). leveled story and poem in print, but
unless their nonfiction reading skills are
Expand Student Vocabulary. If you strong they will continue to struggle
want to help fourth graders expand throughout their school years.
their vocabulary, they need to read,
read, read and talk, talk, talk—especially By using nonfiction books like
about information-based topics. The Ladybugs (1999), Ants (1999),
most recent reviews of research draw Grasshoppers (1999), or an entire set on
the same conclusion: voluminous insects, you can create opportunities to
experience with rich, information-based develop the necessary informational
language (written and spoken) enhances processing skills—even as early as
student vocabulary growth (Anderson kindergarten. Without these
& Nagy, 1991; Nagy & Scott, 2000). opportunities, many students are likely
Nonfiction books provide the rich to experience the infamous fourth-grade
vocabulary necessary for the reader to “slump”—when the amount of
encounter new words repeatedly so that nonfiction text increases dramatically
vocabulary knowledge grows with each but a student’s skills for using it won’t
reading. be strong enough to deal with the heavy
dose (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990).
By using nonfiction books like
Grasslands (2001), Wetlands (2001), Support English Language Learners. If
Deserts (2001), or an entire set on you want to help a second grade English
ecosystems, you provide students with learner become more fluent in academic
repeated opportunities to encounter English, then that student needs
naturally occurring language that is experience with materials—like
information-based. Without these nonfiction books—that tap into his or her
opportunities, they will be limited to the interests, experience, and cultural
direct instruction of vocabulary words values. Your task, of course, is to
typically taught before reading a text— scaffold the use of these books so the
which has little effect on overall next steps in learning are taken. The
vocabulary growth (Beck & McKeown, research evidence on English language
1991). learners identifies a clear pattern:
fluency in English comes more
Improve Students Academic completely and quickly when teachers:
Achievement. If you want to help (a) use materials that provide
struggling young kindergartners background knowledge and build on
achieve in the long run, they need to previous knowledge, (b) value these
start learning early how to be proficient materials in light of the student’s home
users of nonfiction text. The research culture and language, and (c) balance
evidence is clear on this point: students the use of these materials with
who achieve academically also have responsive and sheltered instruction in
strong informational reading and both basic and higher-order skills
writing skills (Bernhardt, Destino, (August & Hakuta, 1997; Brisk, 1998;
Kamil, & Rodriguez-Munoz, 1995). You Greene, 1998; Mayer & Fienberg, 1992).
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A child can be a fluent speaker and than they do standing at the drinking
reader in his or her home language, but fountain.
unless the English learning at school is a
tailored set of material and instructional By using nonfiction books like Chief
components that work from the Joseph of the Nez Perce (1998), Harriet
resources in the child’s particular Tubman (1997), Susan B. Anthony
language community, fluency in English (1998), or an entire set of photo-
will be leaner and take longer (Hakuta, illustrated biographies, you can tip the
Butler, & Witt, 2000). balance between narrative and
nonfiction reading by linking core
By using nonfiction books like Mexico program selections with nonfiction
(1997), The Pueblo Indians (1999), Cesar books. Without this balanced “diet,” the
Chavez (1998), or an entire set on health of your reading curriculum is at
weather and seasons, you can create stake—and while your students’ literary
opportunities for English language stomachs won’t be empty, they will still
learners to develop fluency in English— be consuming an unbalanced diet
and in their home language too. (Hartman & Hicks, 1996).
Without the rich content knowledge and
language that informational books can HOW TO USE NONFICTION BOOKS
provide, students are likely to A number of concepts and practices are
experience the so-called “achievement central to creating a classroom
gap”—where the lack of academic environment where informational books
content knowledge and English are used effectively.
language proficiency keep them from
learning like their native-English- Select Quality. How do you
speaking classmates (Freeman, distinguish an excellent nonfiction book
Freeman, & Mercuri, 2002). from a mediocre one? Three sources
should be consulted when selecting
Balance the Core Reading Program. quality nonfiction books (Bamford &
Finally, if you want students to have a Kristo, 1998):
balanced diet of narrative and
informational text, then supplement the First, check out the national committees
core reading program with nonfiction that use criteria to evaluate and produce
books. Recent research identifies a clear lists of outstanding books published
pattern: commercially produced each year. For example, the Children’s
reading programs contain little Book Council’s committees are made up
informational text (Hoffman, of children’s literature and content-area
McCarthey, Abbott, Christian, Corman, experts who evaluate books of all types
Curry, Dressman, Elliott, Matherne, & according to professionally rigorous
Stahle, 1994; Moss & Newton, 1998). As criteria. They answer the question: How
a result, your students can spend more well does The Iroquois Indians (1997)
time on reading/language arts than any measure up against the criteria of accuracy,
other subject during the day, but still organization, style, design, and author’s
spend less time with informational text expertise? CBC’s book lists provide a
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way to measure a book’s quality against level to students (Fountas & Pinnell,
a common universal standard (Kristo, 1999).
1998).
The first set centers on three questions
Second, use the recommendations of about the student(s):
your district and building colleagues to
select books that will help students meet • What is their language knowledge? (i.e.,
state and national standards. The aural and reading vocabulary, syntax
committees and teachers in your district structure, interpretive practices)
that create these tailored book lists • What is their background knowledge?
evaluate them according to the (i.e., direct and vicarious life
curricular goals and objectives that must experiences with books, music, TV,
be met in your locale. They answer the art, film, etc.)
question: How well will Looking at Shapes
(2002) help our students understand the • What are their literary experiences?
math standard on analyzing characteristics (i.e., books, magazines, newspapers,
and properties of two- and three- mail, etc.)
dimensional geometric shapes? The books
they choose determine a book’s quality By asking and then answering these
against a functional standard (Fredericks, questions with evidence from running
1998). records, observations, informal reading
inventories, and other measurement
And finally, follow the trail of books tools, you can gauge what students do
that students create themselves. and don’t know for appropriate leveling
Student book preferences reflect their (Johnston, 1997).
evaluations of books according to their
own needs and interests. They answer The second set of characteristics centers
the question: How well does Caving around three questions about the
Adventures (2002) speak to me about the book(s):
things I want or need to know? These
• What are the print features of the
choices provide a way to determine a
book? (i.e., length, print size, layout,
book’s quality against a personal
illustrations)
standard (Avery, 1998).
• What are the concepts in the book?
These three sources contribute to the
(i.e., content, themes, ideas)
overall assessment of a book’s quality.
Where the universal, functional, and • What are the language and literary
personal standards intersect, quality features of the book? (i.e.,
nonfiction books are found. perspective, language structure,
literary device, vocabulary, word
Level Appropriately. How do you
types)
match that “just right” nonfiction book
with a student or group? Two sets of By asking and then answering these
characteristics should be considered questions with evidence from the
when matching the appropriate book
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book(s), you can gauge its appropriate The final step is to plan instruction with
level (Fountas & Pinnell, 1999). the books in mind (Gagné & Briggs,
1974). The activities should be designed
The purpose for matching appropriate so that they provide evidence for
student characteristics to book levels is assessing how well students have
to help students use what they already learned. This means imagining how one
know to get to what they need to know. day’s activities fit together with
To work “at the edge” of their learning another’s into an integrated unit.
and literacy, we need to know the Starting with the unit’s launch, then
“deep” characteristics of our students moving through the connected
and books (Vygotsky, 1978). activities, until the final project is
Plan Proactively. How do you plan for complete, the products and records
the use of nonfiction books? A few resulting from each activity can be used
simple, straightforward ideas can help for evaluating how well students are
(Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). moving toward the desired learning
outcomes.
The first step is to identify the learning
outcome(s) that these books naturally Integrate Completely. How do you
lead to (Tyler, 1950). With state and fully integrate the nonfiction books
national standards in one hand and being used? The best answer indicates
nonfiction book(s) in the other, you can that three layers of connections
match the book and your instruction to characterize learning and teaching that
the knowledge, skills, and dispositions are fully integrated (Petrie, 1992).
of the standards. For example, a first - The first layer is integrating the content
grade teacher browses a set of areas—social studies, science,
nonfiction books on family relationships mathematics, literature, art, and music.
and considers the social studies Using nonfiction books that logically
standards and finds a perfect match: the lend themselves to making connections
content in the 14-book set parallels the across the curriculum is the first step
social studies standard for individual toward realizing complete integration
development and identity. (Wineburg & Grossman, 2000). For
The second step is to determine the instance, suppose a class of
evidence that will tell you how well kindergartners wanted to learn how
students have learned from the books to math is used by many people. To find
achieve the desired outcome (McTighe answers, they will need to read across
& Ferrara, 1998). For the first-grade nonfiction books from many content
teacher mentioned above, this means areas:
deciding which forms of assessment will Math
provide information directly related to Everyone Uses Math (2002)
how well the students understand the Many Ways to 100 (2002)
concepts included in the development Counting Many Ways (2002)
and identity standard. Time to Estimate (2002)

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Science And the third layer is integrating the
The Wright Brothers (2000) student—internally and externally.
Robert Fulton (2000) Developing Renaissance students who
Robert Goddard (2000) can skillfully draw on information from
The Doctor’s Office (1998) numerous resources to solve personal,
social, and intellectual problems in a
Social Studies constantly changing world is the final
We Need Farmers (2000) step toward complete integration
We Need Mail Carriers (2000) (Hopkins, 1937). For example, suppose
People Work (2001) a classroom of second graders was
Some Kids Are Blind (2001) asked to demonstrate what they know
Health and can do with information from seven
We Need Dentists (2000) nonfiction books on water.
We Need Doctors (2000)
• The Water Cycle (2000)
We Need Nurses (2000)
• Water as a Gas (2000)
We Need Veterinarians (2000)
• Water as a Liquid (2000)
The second layer is integrating the • Water as a Solid (2000)
language arts—reading, writing, • We Need Water (2000)
speaking, and listening. Designing • Keeping Water Clean (2000)
language-based activities that prompt • Drinking Water (2000)
students to make connections among
To carry out this project, they will need
nonfiction books is the next move
to develop a unified (internal)
toward complete integration (Gavelek,
understanding of what water is, how it
Raphael, Biondo, & Wang, 2000). For
works, why it is important, where it is
example, suppose small groups of third
located, when it is needed, and who
graders were asked during a unit on
regulates its use. They can then use this
ecosystems to use four nonfiction books
information (externally) to shape the
to create a chart that compares
world by helping to clean a nearby
information about temperate forests in
stream, lobbying for stronger clean
three countries across the northern
water policies, or conserving water for
hemisphere.
future generations.
• Temperate Forests (2001)
Teach Strategically. How do you
• Canada, (1998)
decide which teaching method is best
• Germany (1997)
suited for the nonfiction book(s) you are
• Russia (1999)
using? Start with the end in mind.
To accomplish the task, students will What is the goal? What knowledge, skill,
need to read the books, speak and listen to or strategy are students to develop by
each other’s ideas, and write the using these nonfiction books? With the
information they’ve selected on the end in mind, you can select a teaching
chart—thereby using the four language method that strategically moves
arts together. students toward that goal or objective
(Hartman, 2000). For example:
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help them learn when to flexibly
• If you want second graders to apply particular learning skills and
develop declarative knowledge—core strategies (Ogle, 1992).
vocabulary, concepts, facts, and
information (Pearson & Fielding, • If you want sixth graders to develop
1991)—for reading a nonfiction book discursive knowledge—knowing how
like How Things Move (2001), then to put ideas together, integrate one
use a teaching strategy like list- with another, and compare
group-label to help them visualize declarative, procedural, and textual
the often abstract physics-related ideas (Harré & Gillett, 1994)— for
vocabulary concepts (Taba, 1967). reading a set of nonfiction books on
law enforcement, then use a teaching
• If you want fifth graders to develop strategy like questioning the author
procedural knowledge—processes for to help them learn how to query the
carrying out intellectual tasks and reasons why a text is assembled as it
projects (Pearson & Fielding, 1991)— is (Beck, McKeown, Hamilton, and
for reading a nonfiction book like Kucan, 1997).
Caving Adventures (2002), then use • And if you want eighth graders to
a strategy like PORPE (Predict, develop social knowledge—knowing
Organize, Rehearse, Practice, how to work with others on a project
Evaluate) to help them actively plan, (Gee, 1999)—for reading a set of
monitor, and evaluate their content nonfiction books on dangerous
learning (Simpson, 1992). adventures, then use a teaching
• If you want seventh graders to strategy like conversational
develop textual knowledge—how texts discussion groups to help them
are organized and hang together develop a repertoire of participation
(Meyer & Rice, 1984)—for reading a skills for constructing meaning with
nonfiction book like Elections in the others (O’Flahavan, 1989).
United States (1999), then use a By keeping the end in mind and
teaching strategy like expository text selecting instruction that moves learning
structure maps to help them toward it, students will gain the
recognize and use the organizational knowledge, skills, and strategies
patterns used by authors to present essential for navigating informational
ideas (Readence, Bean, & Baldwin, conversation.
1995).
Discuss Intelligently. Pose questions
• If you want first graders to develop that are likely to initiate intelligent
conditional knowledge—knowing discussion. While there are many
when to use declarative, procedural, taxonomies for categorizing question
and textual knowledge (Paris, types, one of the more useful schemes
Lipson, & Wixson, 1983)—for divides questions into three types
reading a set of nonfiction books on (Hartman & Allison, 1996).
looking at simple machines, then use
a teaching strategy like K-W-L to
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• Intratextual – These questions prompt Then lead the discussion in such a way
students to connect information within that it is likely to sustain intelligent
a book. They ask students to construct discussion.
responses that draw on information
from several parts of a book. For • Let students talk. Talk is central to all
example, an intratextual starter effective learning and literacy (Green
question for fourth graders discussing & Dixon, 1993). The challenge for
the nonfiction book Rain Forests (2001) teachers is to cultivate a responsive
is: How do the author’s views of the rain and collaborative form of talk where
forest ecosystem change from the the teacher and students are jointly
beginning, to the middle to the end of the talking, reading, writing, and
book? listening (Gutierrez, 1993). For
example, after posing an intertextual
• Intertextual – These questions prompt question about two books that
students to connect information from students have read on land and sea
two or more books. They ask students transportation, a teacher can invite
to construct responses that require students to respond by talking in
integrating information from several pairs or trios before sharing their
books on a common topic. For ideas with the entire class.
instance, an intertextual starter
question for third graders discussing • Offer support when students are
Everyone Is a Scientist (2001), Henry stuck. Most often students get
Ford (2000), Alexander Graham Bell frustrated because they are doing
(1999), Thomas Edison (1999), something that is beyond their
Veterinarians (1997), and Zoo Keepers current ability, so they need a teacher
(1998) is: How have the books on to “scaffold” what they cannot do
inventors and community helpers helped alone (Bruner, 1986). Slowly
you understand how everyone is a encourage the student(s) to take over
scientist? parts of the learning as he or she is
able to do so (Rogoff, 1990). For
• Extratextual – These questions prompt example, if fourth graders are
students to connect information from struggling to decode and understand
the world to information in a book. many key terms in the book Rock
They ask students to construct Climbing (1996), then you can
responses that make connections scaffold by reading the book aloud
between their background knowledge the first time or two and defining a
and information from a book (or few of the terms out loud while
books). For example, an extratextual reading. As students become more
starter question for seventh graders familiar with the technical
discussing Sheryl Swoopes (2001) and terminology of extreme rock
Kevin Garnett (2001) is: How would climbing, they can take on the role of
you compare either one of these athletes to reading the book with peers or alone.
your own sports hero?

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Assessing Accurately. How do you the method for assessing needs to be
accurately assess what students learn aligned with that goal.
from informational books?
Typically, two formatting methods are
First determine what the goal is for used for assessing: recognition or
assessing students (McTighe & Ferrara, construction (Cambourne & Turbill,
1998). 1994). Recognition formats prompt
students to select a response (e.g.,
• What do we want students to multiple-choice, true-false, matching).
understand and be able to do? Construction formats prompt students
• Why are we assessing and how will to construct a response, create a
the assessment information be used? product, perform a task, or describe
their learning (e.g., short answer and
• For whom are the assessment results fill-in-the-blank; stories and models; oral
intended? presentations and dramatic readings;
observing, interviewing, and learning
For example, if a second-grade teacher logs). In the first-grade example on
wants to find out what students have plant life, the learning log format is
learned from a set of nonfiction books probably the method of choice, because
on the galaxy, it will be necessary to it aligns with the goals by providing
identify: formative information about the
learning strategies and thinking
• the content standard(s) the assessment processes students are using to explain
will measure. plant life cycles.
• the purpose(s) for doing the FINAL THOUGHTS
assessment. (To inform and guide
instruction? To provide practice This overview is grounded in the best
applying knowledge and skills? To research and scholarly-based evidence
determine program effectiveness?) to date. In the first section I outlined the
rationale for using nonfiction books,
• the audience for the assessment highlighting their importance for our
information. (Teachers? Parents? student’s learning and lives. In the
Students? Board of Education? second section I outlined seven concepts
General Public?) that are central to creating a classroom
The second decision—determing how to environment where nonfiction books
assess student learning—should are used effectively. In both cases, the
logically follow the conclusions made concepts are intended to be suggestive
from the first decision (Wiggins, 1998). rather than prescriptive, and the
For instance, if the goal for assessing examples are intended to be illustrative
student understandings midway rather than exhaustive.
through a unit on plant life is to provide
formative feedback so you can determine Educators who avidly use nonfiction
how well an explanation-based content books offer three suggestions for getting
standard in science is being met, then started. First, start smart. By selecting
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nonfiction books that feature topics
aligned to your standards, you will get a
higher return for your instructional
time. Second, talk with others. Find the
ardent users of nonfiction books in your
school or district. Their ideas and
feedback are the best professional
development you can find. And third,
start now. Find the books that will fit
with what you are teaching today.
Putting off for tomorrow—or next
year—what students need today is
limiting their future.

Dr. Douglas K. Hartman is
Associate Professor of
Language and Literacy in the
school of Education at the
University of Pittsburgh. He
has served on the editorial
review boards of The Reading
Teacher, the Reading

Research Quarterly, the Journal of Literacy Research,
and other scholarly journals. He received national
recognition for his dissertation, including the
Outstanding Dissertation Award, the Student
Research Award, and Finalist recognition for the
Promising Research Award. Dr. Hartman is the
author of numerous journal articles and book
chapters. He has been a visiting Assistant Professor
at the University of California at Berkley, Division of
Education in Language and Literacy. His current
research centers on literacy learning from
informational, technological, cognitive, sociocultural,
and historical perspectives.

For more information about Red Brick
Learning or the titles referenced in this
article, please contact:

1-888-262-6135
www.redbricklearning.com

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