A Focus on Expository Text

Engagement with academic learning requires the skills of reading and writing expository academic text. Long Term English Learners typically struggle with this --- lacking vocabulary to comprehend the information and struggling with the discourse patterns of academic presentation.  They need to learn how academic text is structured. Long Term English Learners classes teach students reading strategies to make their way through different kinds of informational texts; the classes demystify academic writing's structures and conventions. This support is essential for all of the students' academic classes. They also learn how to approach expository writing, including persuasive academic writing, research/informational writing, summarizing, and argumentation. A focus on expository text is also a focus on conceptualizing and framing ideas. The Long Term English Learners class covers the specific language of academic genres.  Many use the WRITE genre-based units. Many design their classes with the expectation that students will be writing every day. Some classes focus on reading the work of wonderful writers then use the masters as models, analyzing their writing and engaging students in mimicking the masters' writing. This strategy is particularly important for English learners who do not yet have the depth of language to generate their own style of writing. Rubrics are typically used so expectations are explicit about what constitutes strong writing and what is needed to get a "5." While informational and expository texts are a central focus in Long Term English Learners classes, most cover a variety of genres, including biographical narrative, responses to literature, persuasive writing, research, non-fiction, PowerPoint presentation, drama, poetry, and creative writing. High school courses are particularly focused on narrative genres in addition to expository. Students develop reading fluency when reading material they like, and often those texts are fiction and may be beyond their independent reading level. Thus, while the focus on expository text is essential, it is not sufficient.