Narrative and Expository Text

Research Based Teach students about text structures

Categories or Genres Texts are categorized into types or genres: Fiction –Narrative (traditional stories (e.g., tall tales, myths), fantasy (e.g., fairy tales), realistic (e.g., sports, animals) Nonfiction (accurate information) –Narrative (e.g., biography) and expository forms (e.g., informational texts, concept books)

Narrative Texts

5 What is a narrative text? Tells a story (e.g., personal, scripts/routine series of events, fictional) Based on life experiences Person-oriented using dialogue and familiar language (written in first, second, or third person) Narrative Point of View M60Sm2c M60Sm2c

Narrative Text Narrative text (story, sequence of events); knowledge of story grammar (macrostructure) Narrative text has a predictable structure, familiar themes; easier to be understood by children (Hogan et al., 2011) Children with weak text comprehension produce narratives with significantly poorer structure with less use of connectives (Cain, 2003) Children with reading disabilities know less about story grammar, formulate stories which are less well developed and organized, and comprehend and remember less of narrative text (Westby, 2005)

7 Purpose(s) To entertain To tell a story To Provide an aesthetic experience

Early Developing Narrative Discourse Stage 1: Heap StoriesLabels and descriptions of events or actions; 2-3 years Stage 2: Sequence Stories Labeling events around a central theme, character, setting; descriptive; not necessarily temporal; 3 years Stage 3: Primitive Narrative Stories have a central person, object, event; 3 story elements (initiating event, action, a consequence); 4-41/2 years Stage 4: Chain NarrativeCause-effect; temporal relationships; weak plot; abrupt endings; 4 story elements (plan/ wish; character motivation); 41/2 -5 years Stage 5: True Narrative Theme, character, plot; character ’ s motivation; logical sequence; 5 elements including resolution; 5-7 years Adapted from Applebee’s System for Scoring Narrative Stages

Later Stages of Narrative Development Complex Narratives 7-8 years: introduction; conclusion; mostly complete episodes, including goals, motivations, and reactions 11 years: multiple episodes (more than one complete episode), complex episodes (multiple obstacles) 13 years: several elaborated high points; complex, embedded (an episode within another), and interactive episodes (2 different points of view)

10 Genres Traditional Literature –Myths and religious stories –Fables (proverbs explicitly stated at the end) –Folktales (word of mouth, unknown origins) –Pourquoi Tales (explain phenomena) –Tall Tales and Legends (greatly exaggerated accounts of heros and legends) –Cumulative tales (repeating and adding lines) –Fairy tales (folktales that involve magic) –Apprenticeship/Hero tales (character rises from a lowly to high estate, or from ignored/ threatened to recognized/rewarded for good qualities

11 Realistic fiction Historical fiction Fantasy and science fiction Biography (depending on structure) Drama Diaries Personal narrative

13 Organization Story Grammar/Story Structure Characters (protagonist, antagonist; wish; how are characters revealed?) Setting Problem/Conflict (Are there different types?) Events/Actions to solve the problem/Plot Turning Point/Climax Resolution/Falling Action Theme/Message

16 Less Complex Story Grammar Beginning (characters, setting, problem) Middle (events) End (resolution)

17 More Complex Story Grammar Beginning: –characters (antagonist/protagonist), setting, problem (conflict), initiating event Middle: –turning points, crisis, rising action, climax, subplot, parallel episodes End: –resolution, falling action, ending

Expository Text Structure Informational text is more difficult to comprehend Content schema may be unknown to the reader; density of concepts, vocabulary The text structure is variable Processing facts and the relationships of sentences while also developing a content schema and text structure place multiple cognitive demands on the reader, stressing working memory (Westby, 2005)

19 Expository Texts Nonfiction Loaded with new information and vocabulary [“Communicate information about the natural or social world” (Duke, 2000)] Syntax Uses non-text features, such as charts, pictures, diagrams May contain captions with graphics Contains timeless verb constructions (“Tigers are strong animals”) Structured differently than stories with varying choices The reader must figure out the structure What does the CCSS say about informational text?

Verbal Organizers for Identifying Expository Text Structures Text StructureFunction Sequential; Process; ProceduralTells chronological steps or explains a process Enumerative ____________________________ Informative Lists or explains ____________________________ Provides information/ facts about people, places, things Cause-effectLists causes/reasons for something DescriptiveTells what something is Problem/ SolutionStates a problem and offers solutions Comparison/ Contrast ____________________________ Opinion or Persuasive Highlights similarities/differences between people, objects, events ____________________________ Explains or justifies beliefs

Visual Organizers for Expository Text Structures

Is this classification system really that easy? 24

What About… History books Biography Autobiography May be classified as narrative because (1) they follow narrative structure, (2) they inform about people rather than “the natural or social world” 25

Hybrid Texts Author wants to convey information about natural or social world, but does so in a way that is perhaps considered more humorous and entertaining Combines elements of narrative and exposition Example: Magic School Bus Series 26