In recent years, it has been recognized that grade school curricula places a heavy emphasis on Non-fiction reading skills. In North America’s reading and writing publications tailored according to the CCSS initiative, these topics/themes appear at an increasing frequency: Engineering Studies, Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Economics, Geography and Culture, US History, US Civics and Government, World History, Sports, The Arts, and Political Science.
The increasing importance of non-fiction reading and vocabulary building is also evident in the essential standardized exams in North America.
By the example of the SSAT test, more than 75% of the questions from the SSAT reading section are about non-fiction topics. More than 50% of frequently-tested SSAT vocabulary words are words related to non-fiction topics.
By the example of the TOEFL Junior test, 100% of the questions from the reading section are about non-fiction topics. More than 50% of frequently-tested TOEFL Junior vocabulary words are words related to non-fiction topics.
