Facts and Opinions

An important part of reading comprehension is determining what a fact is and what an opinion is. To understand more completely, let's define each. A fact is a statement that is true and can be verified objectively, or proven. In other words, a fact is true and correct no matter what. An opinion, however, is a statement that holds an element of belief; it tells how someone feels.  An opinion is not always true and cannot be proven. In education, children as young as  kindergarten engage in conversation about fact and opinion. Why is this skill important enough  to teach? Let's take a closer look.

Purpose in Education

Instructing young children on the terms and concepts of fact and opinion is a little like their  emerging math skills - begin with the basics and allow for more information to come as they  mature. We teach fact and opinion as a reading and analytic skill necessary for understanding  and mentally processing text. Knowing the difference between fact and opinion helps readers  make sense of information. Outside of reading and writing, children will come to recognize facts  and opinions in their language. Hopefully, their choice of words when describing emotions or  experiences will become more accurate as they grasp the nuanced nature of facts and opinions.

Instruction of facts and opinions builds on high-level thinking skills, such as explaining, proving,  and defending. Examples of facts and opinions are:

Fact:

1. Dogs have fur.

2. The Beatles were a band.

3. The last day of school is May 22nd.

Opinion

1. Dog fur is pretty.

2. The Beatles sang great songs.

3. May 22nd is the best day of the year.

In reading passages, the difference between fact and opinion isn't always quite so clear. Students  can identify fact and opinion in isolation accurately, so make sure to apply it to reading.

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