The Fiction-Nonfiction Divide: Can Teachers’ Personal Reading Preferences Impact the Diversity of Genres Shared in Elementary Classrooms?

Despite expanded efforts to increase the amount of nonfiction literature taught in elementary classrooms and a recent publication boom in the quantity and quality nonfiction children’s literature, a disparity still remains. While elementary teachers recognize the need to include more nonfiction, the primary genre for reading and literacy instruction remains fiction literature. Some of this may be about lack of acceptable children’s literature selections in the curriculum, but it may also indicate teachers’ preference for fiction. Using discourse analysis, this qualitative study analyzed the online discussion board responses of 99 graduate student in-service teachers who were asked about their early literacy experiences. Results indicated overwhelmingly positive early childhood memories of fiction (n=77), including many activities culturally situated within home and family, such as story time and library visits. Teachers did not recall similar early memories of nonfiction. Responses to nonfiction were more closely tied to schooling activities such as report writing and research. Some teachers also indicated a conscious effort to provide students with more exposure to nonfiction genres in their own classrooms. This study highlights the importance of directly addressing teachers’ personal preferences in both teacher preparation and in-service professional development to help them move toward more balanced classroom literacy across diverse genres.