Written Communication Jul 1994

The Emergence of Genres: Some Findings from an Examination of First-Grade Writing

MARILYN L. CHAPMAN

Abstract

This article examines the writing and drawing produced by a group of children during “writing workshop” time throughout their first-grade year. The purpose of the study was to obtain insight into the general question: Do genres “emerge” in ways analogous to other aspects of writing development? While the study is limited to a specific group of first-grade writers, it provides insights which suggest that genre may indeed be “emergent.” Emergence is supported by evidence of the following: Quantitative and qualitative changes in the organization of texts, with genres appearing as adaptations rather than fixed forms or generalized verbal products; an interplay among drawing, talking, reading, and writing in the construction of genres; the influence of the specific recurring social context of Writing Workshop and the genres surrounding and embedded in it; and the impact overall of the socialization into literacy occurring within this specific classroom community.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1994-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088394011003003
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
genre theory literacy studies
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. McCarthey (2008)
    The Impact of No Child Left Behind on Teachers' Writing Instruction
    Written Communication
  2. Peterson et al. (2006)
    Sixth-Grade Teachers’ Written Comments on Student Writing: Genre and Gender Inf…
    Written Communication
  3. Chambliss et al. (2003)
    Fourth Graders Composing Scientific Explanations About the Effects of Pollutant…
    Written Communication
  4. CHAPMAN (1999)
    Situated, Social, Active: Rewriting Genre in the Elementary Classroom
    Written Communication
  5. HAYES et al. (1999)
    Issues in Measuring Reliability: Correlation Versus Percentage of Agreement
    Written Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 25 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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