Educator Resources: Nonfiction Writing Strategies

Nonfiction Writing Strategies

Writing Strategy: Content-Specific Vocabulary

Background Information
Nonfiction writing includes content-specific vocabulary. Authors often have to present complex terms in ways readers new to the content can understand.

Teaching with Mentor Texts
Use Journey North News for mentor text activities:

1. Notice and note content-specific words.
As you read news updates, notice how authors include definitions, context-rich sentences, and examples to help readers understand unfamiliar terms.

2. Create content-specific word banks.
Words are the ingredients writers use to craft nonfiction. Challenge students to create a bank of words they could use in their own writing by collecting from mentor texts with related topics.

3. Read...read...read. Writers research and write.
After reading a news update, encourage students to read through related slideshows, articles, fact pages, and other resources to become an expert. The more they read about a topic, the more they will be able to write about it.

4. Provide guided practice with journal pages.
Explore journal pages that feature word-building skills. Showcase them on bulletin boards and use them to create word cards for learning center activities.

Sample Mentor Texts

Content-Specific Vocabulary:

Try it! Journal Activity:

Write About Monarchs: Content-Specific Words