In year long genre study, all your reading curriculum is delivered through a series of in-depth genre units. During each unit students are immersed in the genre. They read examples of the genre during read alouds, guided reading, independent reading, and literature study. The teacher delivers lessons on a broad range of reading topics and applies the lessons to the featured genre. A typical genre unit might look something like this (we’ll use historical fiction as our example): Genre Immersion During Reading Workshop The teachers gathers 10-20 historical fiction picture books. Each day she reads one aloud to the class and facilitates a discussion. Then, she delivers a mini-lesson. Students…
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Using Genre to Frame Your Reading Workshop Curriculum (Genre Study Intro)
A few years ago I attended a Fountas and Pinnell conference on year-long genre study, and it transformed my reading workshop. Genre was this little gem that I’d been undervaluing. Once I dug it out from its hiding spot in my cluttered curriculum, I had a tool that put all my literature analysis lessons into perspective. Because I think it really enhances reading workshop, I’ll be doing a series of posts on genre study. The easiest way to begin is to compare year-long genre study with a short, one-time genre unit or lesson (you know, the kind where you put a “Genre Bulletin Board” together with ready-made examples and definitions).…
