Entry #9

Comparison of Fiction and Nonfiction for ELLs

Characteristic	Fictional Text: The Breadwinner by Debra Ellis (Fictional history)	Non-Fiction Text: World History: Making Connections to Today	Similarities and Differences	Impact on ELLs
Title	Story	Broad General Overview	Both have cover pages with Titles and images, Both also have title pages inside the cover with similar images and titles Differ in purpose even though both connected to historical context.	Each title page would help prepare students with prereading (words and images) but only in a very general way.
Visuals/Pictures	Unique illustrations, designed to aid the storyline	Images appear on nearly every page.  Consist of historical artifacts, maps, charts, photographs, timelines	Both have illustrations within chapters.  Nonfiction has more variety of images (ie. graphs, charts, maps, photographs)	Illustrations help ELLs to comprehend. Nonfiction – images could be an issue as they are organizers that students may have to be taught how to read.
Author/Illustrator	Single author/ illustrator	Team of Authors and Editors	Number of authors and sources contributing vastly different	Ells will have a harder time possibly with the variety of authors in nonfiction as the vocabulary, and structure of the writing can have subtle changes from chapter to chapter.  Fiction can be easier as voice and tone is consistent.
Contents	Chapter organization.  Short number of pages within each chapter	Unit organization with chapters for more unified topics and then sections for specific events and details. Text is leveled as 11 grade text.	Table of contents standard. Fiction lists chapters Non-fiction has chapter, sections and content topics along with highlights	Contents of fiction would encourage ELLs. Nonfiction would support due to imagery, but would also be a hindrance due to the content identifications/vocabulary being complex for ELLs as well as many English speakers.
Print	Overall 14pt font-type same except for chapter headings.  No captions for illustrations	Varying fonts, sizes and colors. Different fonts and colors for chapter, section and topic headings.  Also use of bold font for key identification terms.	Both use a standard font for the most part Nonfiction have variety denoting specific elements of the text	Standard font improves ability to comprehend due to consistency. Nonfiction text does provide assistance to ELLs with the use of bold, color and italics hence benefiting ELLs if provided with the understanding of the reason for each font/color usage.
Structure	Storyline structure – Chronological order of events. Narrative story telling and dialogue of characters, 170 pages	Introduction to format of the text and contents (33 pgs), 37 chapters = 980 pages. Language structure is formal academic base containing mass amounts of fact/information	Paragraphs and structure is in chronological event for the most part. Nonfiction length is vast.	Nonfiction can be intimidating due to the size of the book especially if checked out.  Mentality is that students read each text cover to cover.  Simply cannot happen with these types of text. Nonfiction also would be difficult due to the possible lack of prior knowledge to be able to comprehend graphic organizers and visuals included within the text. Fiction is going to be more familiar to students and easier for ELLs
Ending	Story ends after last paragraph.  No so happy ending which surprises students	Reference section containing Atlas, Glossary, Connections to literature and science = 30 pg	Fiction – Completes the story Nonfiction- has resources that students can use at the back.	Non-fiction has resources to aid students and can have an immediate impact on ELLs comprehension of vocabulary and content Fiction provides a place of completion for ELL students; a measure of completion establishes a sense of success and increases motivation.