It is important for readers to experience texts from different genres. Each type of genre has structural components that readers need to be familiar with, and teachers need to teach about. This blog entry studies the similarities and striking differences between narrative and expository texts, as well as, discusses what components support ELLS with speaking, and what challenges hinder their language development.
The Double-Bubble Thinking Map displays several differences between the two genres, as well as, a few similarities. I selected two level 10 and two level 12 texts that my Reading Recovery students will eventually read. The expository selections were about spiders, and the narrative texts were about fictional mice and two boys eating peas from the garden, respectively. All of the texts had supportive components that would foster language development. The illustrations and photographs clearly showed the action that was taking place in both types of text. The print was large, and there were an appropriate amount of words on each page for level 10 and 12 readers. Both types of genres could utilize background knowledge. In the narrative text, the readers may be knowledgeable about the conflict between mice, cats and dogs. The reader may know about spiders from direct contact, books, and educational television programs. (sorry for the writer/computer lapse ) The expository texts topics may score higher in reader interest. Both texts used captions, but the level 12 text had more information without content headings or a contents page. That might be a challenge for a reader, because the reader does not have the organization and structure to help guide his thinking. A glossary was included in the level 12 text, but not in the level 10 text. Terminology needs to be explained through definitions, images, and teacher support with expository texts. Some of the challenges with the narrative texts could be the number of characters and episodes within the text. In the Garden mainly had two characters speaking, in one setting. Brown Mouse Gets Some Corn , used three speaking characters, and a problem and solution that may be challenging for ELLS if they did not know about the relationship between most mice, cats, and dogs. Some of the sentence structures are tricky. The retelling may be challenging to describe in sequence. Expository texts inform readers of facts that ELLS can recall more easily because of the images, text content, and captions. Facts can be told in any order.
Expository texts that include a table of contents, a glossary, and an index provide the organizational structure that enhances ELLS' understanding of a topic. The use of clear images, captions, bold headings and bullets help clarify important facts. This teacher thinks that more expository literature should be exposed to ELLS in the primary grades to promote language development. Graphic organizers can be used to help support content understanding, and language usage. Usually narrative texts are predominately used at the primary level, and there are graphic organizers that help students' understanding of narrative text, but this teacher thinks that ELLS stating/showing facts is less complex then retelling/showing a story in sequence, or explaining a theme. ELLS need to have experiences in both, as do all students. I believe expository texts support more language development.
Information retrieved from Morrow, Chapter 6, and the Colorin Colorado article titled Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-Fiction Text, by Robertson.
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