The Missouri Reader Vol. 36, Issue 1 | Page 37

our students the skills necessary to live,
work and function in this society. (p. 3)
The internet makes information available at
students‘ fingertips. Teachers today are straying
away from using basal readers and utilizing the
computer as an ―integral information literacy
tool‖ (Gambrell, 2005, p. 590). The challenge
for today‘s educator is to ensure students
comprehend nonfiction text and are ―prepared
for the information age‖ (Moss, 1993, p. 5).
Increasing nonfiction exposure starts with
promotion. Sanacore (1997) says ―teachers have
the responsibility of demonstrating positive
reading attitudes and behaviors‖ (p. 5). Franklin
and Stephens (2008) believe, ―developing a
booktalk program is the best way to entice
students to read‖ (p. 38). Book talks can promote
―genre exploration, book discussions, persuasive
speaking, opportunities for struggling readers to
hear about books they normally would not read,
fosters positive reading attitudes, and encourages
teachers to connect with their students‖ (p. 38).
Fountas and Pinnell (2001) also believe ―Talking
about books is a way to spark students‘ interest
and introduce them to new texts they might
otherwise miss‖ (p. 120). The following ideas
provide teachers with ways to increase nonficti on
exposure to fourth graders through weekly
nonfiction book talks. In order to expose students
to a wide variety of high-interest nonfiction
teachers must engage students, establish a book
talk purpose, adequately prepare, and have
established procedures.

Student Engagement
Book talks must hook the reader (Franklin &
Stephens, 2008). Using books that will pique the

readers‘ interests is an effective way to engage
students. Failing to engage students could result
in failing to meet the lesson goals and objectives.
In order to match the right books with the right
students, teachers must truly know their students
and consider their age, sex, personalities, and
interests. This is not something that can wait until
the teacher is ready to give a book talk for the
first time. The moment students walk through
the classroom door on the first day of school,
they should feel safe, loved, and respected.
Establishing a community of learners is the
responsibility of the teacher. Church (2006)
believes ―children who feel a sense of identity
within a group are better able to adjust and be
successful in school‖ (p. 44). A teacher can plan
five to ten minutes of community building each
day to ensure relationships are being fostered.
Also, during daily reading conferences the
teacher can use Fountas and Pinnell‘s (2001)
reading interview questions to determine student
reading interests and attitudes. Samples of types
of questions a teacher can ask a student are:
Do you like to read? Why or why not?
About how many book did you read last
year?
Do you read at home? How much and
how often do you read at home?
Where do you get books to read at
home?
What books have you read most
recently?
What is your all-time favorite book?
What are some of your favorite authors?
What topics or subjects interest you? (p.
119)
These questions are simple and can be adapted to
meet the teacher‘s or student‘s needs. Even if
students struggle to answer the questions clearly
and concisely, their answers will paint a fairly
good picture of the type of readers they are.
© The Missouri Reader, 36 (1) p.37