Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction Texts

What are paired texts?

• 2 texts sharing common themes, context or vocabulary

Why read Paired Texts?

• Reading multiple texts helps to connect their knowledge across content areas.
• Vocabulary is strengthened through multiple contexts
• One passage provides background knowledge for the next passage.
• When students read more than one text on a similar subject they get more out of each text

CCRS ELA Anchor 9
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

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"Fictional and informational texts on the same topic are like two parts of a whole picture: The former offer a more personal, subjective and affective perspective, and the latter offer a more public, objective and factual perspective...When teachers focus on these two very different lenses on the same topic, they offer a more holistic view of a given subject and provide a wider range of potential hooks or entry points for student engagement." - Soalt, 2005

Teaching Channel

Remember to

One text can be a step into another

Online Resources

• commonlit.org
• readworks.org
• newsela.com
• zinnedproject.org
• achievethecore.org
• learning.blogs.nytimes.com

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Brainstorm connections