This chapter shed light on the effective use of expository writing for lower graders, which was enlightening. The main purpose of expository writing is to explain, interpret, or make a detailed statement based on process, cause and effect, comparison & contrast, definition, and problem and solution. A general consensus has been that expository writing as one of the difficult types of writing usually should be postponed until the students acquire basic literacy skills in reading and writing. However, “Through early, successful experiences with expository writing, children not only learn how to write reports but also gain knowledge in different subject areas” (Tomkins, 2008, p. 173). In particular, multigenre projects seem plausible for older graders in content based instruction as the students learn to utilize a variety of genres for their projects. The students will learn to use different organizational, factual, structural patterns depending on information they are to present. In this sense, expository writing can serve as a predictor of academic literacy in the long run where students are to discover an “enlarging horizon that every discourse can open to their view” and thus be able to manipulate writing skills at different discourse level (Spellmeyer, 1989, p. 274, as cited in Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 192).
Response to Minkyu Kim
I like your phrases that expository writing allows children to learn more about what's and how-to's of the world. From your reflection, I can take that expository writing is about facts of life. The main purpose of this type of writing only is to let people know what kind of the world we are in, but does not provide any subjective judgmental opinion to affect readers. The final judgment lies in the reader.
Sources
Diaz-Rico, L. (2008). Strategies for Teaching English Learners. Boston:
Allyn &Bacon
Tompkins, Gail E. (2008). Teaching writing: Balancing process and
product. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
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