Non-fiction and Fiction Texts for English Language Learners

Presenting students with a variety of texts is crucial to prepare them to read all genres.  Both fiction and non-fiction texts should be integrated into classroom instruction and independent reading.  However, many English Language Learners could struggle without the right instruction to support their reading.  There are many important differences to keep in mind when analyzing fiction and non-fiction texts for the classroom.  This week I selected samples of both fiction and non-fiction texts appropriate for the students I worked with to determine the important differences to keep in mind when it comes to using each genre with English Language Learners.  This graphic organizer can be used as a reference to prepare appropriate scaffolding when selecting texts for instruction for English Language Learners.

	Fiction	Non-fiction
Types of Texts Sampled	Storia texts with Lexiles 700-800 Treasures Leveled Texts Books from Classroom Library	Discovery Education Reading Passages and E-books Nonfiction Books on Storia Treasures Leveled Texts Passages on Time for Kids and Newsela Textbooks
Levels	Fourth	Fourth
Features that Might Help ELL Students	Drawings and Illustrations Predictable Plot: Beginning, Middle, and End Dialogue and Conversation Often includes Familiar Vocabulary Storyline is Occasionally Predictable Synopsis	Real Photographs, Images Charts, Graphs, Maps, Graphic Organizers Headings that Clarify each Section Summaries in Introduction and/or Conclusion Glossary Index Table of Contents Foreward Text structure Appendix Captions
Features that Might Challenge ELL Students	Unfamiliar Vocabulary Cultural Elements Not Familiar to the Student Slang Theme	Technical language on the topic New and often difficult vocabulary Organization of Information No Background Knowledge on the Topic

After analyzing both genres, I came to the conclusion that I do not believe that one genre is more challenging than the other.  It all just depends on the child’s background knowledge, the level of the text, and the scaffolds that are put into place.  I believe that with the right instruction English Language Learners can succeed with either genre if they are interested in the text, engaged during reading, and motivated to succeed.