Realistic Fiction

What is realistic fiction. Realistic Fiction is realistic in the sense that the setting, characters and events are plausible- they reflect contemporary places, people and situations. In today's classroom good realistic fiction benefits today's classroom in a numerous of ways. For instance a few benefits are: 1. It honestly portrays the realistic of life so children can gain a more in depth understanding of human problems and relationships. 2. It helps expand children's frames of reference and ability to see the world from another perspective.

There has been many controversial and sensitive issues about having realistic fiction read in the classroom.  The issues brought up through realistic fiction that teachers should stay away from are: Death, Divorce, Moral Choices, Mental, physical and behavioral challenges, abuse, Homelessness and Poverty, Sexism and Sexuality.      

Realistic fiction can be a big contribution to Literacy Development, most children are drawn to this type of writing so having a read a loud session gives the students an opportunity to think about the text and the message the author is trying to make. Also Scaffolding comprehension is another great contribute that  builds the students understanding of the story structure. Realistic Fiction also opens up another door and opportunities to have open-ended discussions and reading response journals. Realistic Fiction can be stretched through today's curriculum for instance science teachers can pair these types of books with class experiments and discuss how science knowledge is important in everyday life. Another is Math, social studies and language arts.

In conclusion of Realistic Fiction  teachers must keep in mind "the first amendment and the demands of censorship against concerns such as maintaining the integrity of the educational curriculum  meeting state education requirements, respecting the judgments of professional staff and addressing deeply held beliefs in students and members of the community"(Pg 190).