Entry #9...Expository Genre

For a few weeks now, I have been reading articles, tradebooks, and chapter 9 in Tompkins about the expository genre for our Teaching the Genre presentation. I am actually working on expository texts and writing with my student in clinic for my TARP, which was my reason for choosing this genre. I wanted to know everything I needed to know about expository text to help me in clinic and with my TARP as well. Before reading about the genre, all I thought of when I thought of expository text was information. I had no clue about all the text structures included, and all the different features included to help the reader tell if the book is expository.

Tompkins talks about the characteristics of the expository genre in chapter 9. With expository writing, the writers focus on a single topic, they use text structures to organize their writing, and also use cue words to help guide the readers through the reading. Writers also use nonfiction features as well as formatting that is reader friendly to help guide the readers through the book. Tompkins states that, "when writers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their topics and organize their ideas logically, their writing is more effective" (Tompkins, 2012, p. 202).

Tompkins goes onto explain and describe the five text structures involved with the expository genre. These fives text structures include: description, sequence, comparison, cause and effect, as well as problem and solution. Before reading this chapter, I had no idea that these text structures actually existed within this genre. There is so much more to it than I ever thought. The one piece of information that Tompkins mentioned that I found very interesting was no to confuse the description text structure with the descriptive writing genre. In this text structure, writers describe a topic by listing the characteristics and features of the topic, whereas, the descriptive genre focuses on adding sensory words and figurative language to make the topic come alive (Tompkins, 2012). Once these new text structures are learned, writers use their new knowledge to write nonfiction books. Working with a student who has a difficult time with writing, I did not introduce all the text structures to him at one time. I decided to work on one at a time, starting with the description text structure. Knowing all of this information at once would just scare him away from writing even more than he already is.

Many times students read informational books without even knowing it. If a student has trouble selecting a book in this genre, Tompkins talks about some of the features to look for when trying to decide if a book is an expository book or not. Some features to look for include: a table of contents, heading and subheadings, a glossary, and an index (Tompkins, 2012). Because of the way informational books are organized, readers do not need to read them from front to back to understand it. They can use the different features in the book to look up the information they want to focus on and jump to that part of the book. No matter how they choose to read the book, they will be able to understand the topic of the book.

After reading about the genre and learning lots of new information that I was not aware of before, I plan on using some of the examples that Tompkins talked about in my own classroom someday. I really like Tompkins idea about the "All About...Books".  I feel like they could be modified for any grade levels, but I particularly like them for an elementary classroom during writing. Students usually draw a picture and then write a sentence or two about it. They end up creating a booklet, which turns into their own story. I actually used this with a student that I worked with in the past and I feel like it helped motivate him to write. He did an "All About Me" book and it told the readers things about him. He was really proud of himself and very excited to share it with others.

Now that I have learned more about the expository genre and different ways that I can teach it and use it in the classroom, I am excited to try it someday. I think I would want to introduce the five different text structures one at a time so that it is not so overwhelming to students who don't enjoy reading or writing. That is the method I am taking now and it seems to be working ok. I also would like to use the "All About..Books" since I have had good experiences with them in the past. I feel like students are more motivated to write when its something that they want to write about. Choice is everything to them. They have to have an interest.

Tompkins, G. E. (2012). Teaching writing: balancing process and product. Boston, MA: Pearson
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