ABSTRACT
The primary years are a period of intense learning. Children begin to master enormously complex skills such as reading, writing, and tying their shoes. There will be plenty of time for them to learn the particulars of paragraphing, footnotes, and the like. Researching involves more than simply copying facts out of a book. It is being alive to the world, and valuing one’s perceptions of the world. Many of the topics young children study involve learning how something changes over time. Seeds grow into flowers. The children break into small discussion groups, take one object, talk about it, and wonder about it. Many primary children have a pretty strong sense of story. There are many examples of information storybooks accessible for young readers. Non-fiction writing requires many skills, not the least of which is connecting, comparing, and contrasting factual information. It’s hard to fathom the vastness of the universe or the size of a molecule.
