Emergent writers writing nonfiction

The purpose of this study was to explore how nonfiction books can be used in a primary classroom to promote writing nonfiction. A review of the literature in which nonfiction topics were explored with young children provides the basis for an action research project that was conducted in a first grade classroom. The strategies and benefits of exposing students to nonfiction were explored in the classroom. Nonfiction books read aloud to the students provided a common experience for all students in the classroom. The use of a common experience provided students with a base line of content knowledge on which to base their nonfiction writing. Students were taught not only about nonfiction texts, but also about how to write nonfiction. Teacher organized strategies provided structure, support, and context in order to make nonfiction accessible to students. Using the information provided in nonfiction texts, students wrote original nonfiction texts.