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). Here we go!
Genre Unit vs. Genre Study
The main difference is a matter of depth. A single genre unit (or lesson) gives students a cursory understanding of each genre and its characteristics. This enables them to recognize and identify genre.
Genre study, on the other hand, uses genre to frame all other reading instruction. The entire reading curriculum (including content that isn’t genre-specific) is delivered through in-depth genre units. So instead of introducing every genre in a single lesson, you spend several weeks on each genre (while also teaching content that isn’t genre-specific).
When delivering a single genre lesson, the teacher usually provides students with a definition of every genre, along with examples. In genre study, the teachers exposes students to examples of a particular genre. As the unit is carried out, students list characteristics of the genre and eventually create a class definition. Genre study is inquiry-based.
In genre study, students explore the genre throughout reading workshop. In a study of fantasy, students would read examples of fantasy during read alouds, independent reading, literature study, and guided reading. Genre immersion allows students to internalize the characteristics of the genre.
A single genre lesson, or short unit, treats genre as a concept among many reading concepts. Genre study highlights the connection between literature analysis and the genre in question.
In short, genre study uses genre to frame all other reading knowledge. It provides a framework for your reading curriculum. For more about genre-study implementation, stay tuned!
If you’re looking for genre study resources, check out this Genre Study Catalogue.
