The Emergence of Genres

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.