tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post9105053631737446998..comments2024-03-22T08:12:08.193-07:00Comments on BookNAround: Sunday Salon: Dismissing fictionKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651401312450990123noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-693314958657416622013-09-23T09:17:46.705-07:002013-09-23T09:17:46.705-07:00If you're in a state that has adopted the Comm...If you're in a state that has adopted the Common Core educational standards (which is most states), the curriculum will be putting more emphasis on nonfiction than it used to. And I don't think that's inherently bad, but it does bother me that it seems to be at the expense of fiction. Reading is so much more than a way to gather facts. For example, I really think I've gained more understanding of human nature from good fiction than from any reading of psychology--it's truly the only way to get inside someone else's head, and it's frequently given me better insight into my own. Great discussion...and good luck with this school year!Florindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09789402061034734894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-35852604940739485592013-09-22T18:54:49.321-07:002013-09-22T18:54:49.321-07:00Wonderful post! I question the wisdom of that teac...Wonderful post! I question the wisdom of that teacher's approach, and her ability to eliminate so many useful teaching moments by discarding fiction reading in her program. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence--a public school reading instructor & homeschool instructor I totally agree with your anger. Reading fiction definitely can teach us so much, including, but not limited to, new vocabulary and new worlds to explore. Hope things work out well for your child.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-1694026931932080242013-09-22T16:44:29.117-07:002013-09-22T16:44:29.117-07:00What I've learned from reading:
Fiction is oft...What I've learned from reading:<br />Fiction is often the closest you can get to truth.<br /> (I also like non-fiction).wellwell2https://www.blogger.com/profile/15966678098042337023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-7880671605138625702013-09-22T15:13:25.809-07:002013-09-22T15:13:25.809-07:00GREAT post! Couple of things to add to your argum...GREAT post! Couple of things to add to your argument . . .<br /><br />Novels can sometimes give you a better sense of living through history than any history book can ever do. Think of the classic To Kill a Mockingbird or Huck Finn or even a more recent release of The Help. These capture living in those times much better than just sharing the facts like many non-fiction books do.<br /><br />Novels can also teach a sense of empathy that non-fiction books typically cannot capture. With novels, you have to step into character's shoes and live their life as the author writes it. What a transferable skill to the real work can be more needed than this?!?<br /><br />I am a fan of both fiction and non-fiction. In my opinion, comparing the two are like comparing apples to oranges. There is no need to compare and reading both can and are valuable! Tif Sweeneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06015299390676538748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-48212216101480861052013-09-22T12:51:06.388-07:002013-09-22T12:51:06.388-07:00Beautiful post!Beautiful post!Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08414201637917215413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-41564517768485549542013-09-22T12:17:38.110-07:002013-09-22T12:17:38.110-07:00My ex-husband was also on a no-fiction reading kic...My ex-husband was also on a no-fiction reading kick for a while. A big effect was to drastically limit the reading of the younger boy, which was really not an optimal result. And seriously, how anyone could think that fiction has nothing to teach an Asperger spectrum child? I think a HUGE reason my kid is so high functioning is all the extra practice in dealing with people and emotions and reactions from his reading addiction. It's so much easier to explain baffling social exchanges to him by drawing from books we've shared, where he's seen both sides of issues.<br /><br />Yes, nonfiction is great, but that's because it's great, not because it's not fictional. And bad nonfiction is worse than good fiction. And any teacher that thinks reading TIME or PSYCHOLOGY TODAY is going to stretch kids' minds and vocabularies more than novels (heck, or more than watching the DAILY SHOW) is delusional.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18005286623073064886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-38929078608609219452013-09-22T11:37:08.462-07:002013-09-22T11:37:08.462-07:00This reminds me of my sophomore year of high schoo...This reminds me of my sophomore year of high school, when my then English teacher let us give an oral report on a book of our choice. When I gave my report on The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder he rolled his eyes and sighed. I could never figure out why that was. Years later I discovered that the book was a National Book Award winner. At the time I thought maybe he considered it to be trashy or not serious enough. I still have no idea why he was so judgmental about my choice. And this was an excellent teacher who taught me a lot about Shakespeare and poetry in general, but who obviously had some issues. <br /><br />I think that nonfiction has value (I happen to love reading nonfiction), but I can't recall reading any nonfiction in my English classes. In fact I remember reading historical fiction (Killer Angels) as companion literature in our history class because our history teacher wanted us to have a deeper connection to the information of the time period. To this day I still learn about history better when pairing it with a fiction choice.<br /><br />You are making me feel fortunate with the local teachers that we have. My middle-schooler's lit teacher is having the class read The Giver by Lois Lowry and last year's spring group choice was Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I know that their social studies teacher also brings fiction into at least one study section each year.Alycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10919057159829023714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-574209003226280412013-09-22T10:45:37.179-07:002013-09-22T10:45:37.179-07:00Good post...and I am amazed that you showed such r...Good post...and I am amazed that you showed such restraint and didn't call her out right there. But that would have probably had unfortunate consequences.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your thoughts....and here's <a href="http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/weekly-sundaymonday-updates-banned-books-bloggiesta-more-sept-22/" rel="nofollow"> MY WEEKLY SUNDAY/MONDAY UPDATES </a><br /><br />Laurel-Rain Snowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00101090217639410913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119335579919927653.post-538871797748870442013-09-22T10:22:36.870-07:002013-09-22T10:22:36.870-07:00Seriously? Wow. I've never thought of myself a...Seriously? Wow. I've never thought of myself as the homeschool type, but the more I hear about other people's kids and the public schools they have to attend, the more I question that. Thanks for this wonderful tribute to the value of fiction.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10939074543470696025noreply@blogger.com