Understanding Realistic Fiction

Students have been learning about the difference between fiction, nonfiction, and realistic fiction. Throughout the year, children have been writing a variety of fiction stories and allowing their imagination lead them across pages. Students then began writing informational text on real topics they knew a lot about and are now researching and writing reports on Vermont animals.  Before we begin writing realistic fiction stories (and before every genre we study) I am immersing the children in the genre during reading.  Throughout this week and the following, we are diving into realistic fiction books. We've read a variety of realistic fiction stories about a variety of animals in North America. Students are learning about a variety of story elements and identifying them while reading. INQUIRE with your child what these words mean in stories - character, setting, problem, and solution. Students are learning that all good authors include these elements when writing. Some students are even beginning to identify the different events that occur in a story that lead up to the climax. To help your child at home understand these elements and to prepare them for their realistic fiction story, have them practice oral telling a story about their Vermont Anima complete with a beginning, middle, and endl!  If you're at the library, be sure to check out the Smithsonian Collection of Realistic Fiction Animal stories or any of Jim Arnosky's books.