Using Expository Text in the Secondary Classroom - Coursework Example

Use of expository texts in schools Using Expository Text in the Secondary room Definition of an expository text An expository involves a material that forms nonfiction and whose intention includes informing or explaining something to the audience reading the text. The common expository texts’ formats incorporate persuasion, definition, classification, description, analysis and comparison of entities. The expository texts are evident in many places such as newspapers, biographies, encyclopedias and textbooks. Although many students get challenged by the expository texts at the initial stages of their use, with consistent practice they attain very crucial skills of great necessity later in their studies (Gore & Gore, 2010). Discussion of the application of expository text in the middle-school content area classroom In the middle school classrooms, expository texts play a pivotal role in developing various learning skills of the involved students. The expository texts have their application in the middle school classrooms in a number of ways. The teachers in the middle school make use of expository texts in building the nonfiction texts’ comprehension in their students. Language arts are very useful in the application of expository texts in the middle class classrooms. The students read materials such as memoirs, new articles as well as autobiographies with expository texts. With the teacher’s guidance, the students identify the texts an aspect that greatly help them in comprehending the nonfiction texts (LeMaster, 2009).  The teachers in the middle school under language and arts make use of the expository texts to build their student’s reading abilities. The middle school teachers work with their students and help them in making inferences, analyzing content and drawing conclusions from the expository texts. For example, students as a goal should be able to predict the content of a feature story in a magazine after having a survey of the story’s title, subheadings or the photo captions that go with that text. The students should then develop questions that they expect that text to answer. As they read the text, the students should discover the key ideas and crucial details in the text. In the text, students should establish the author’s intentions for writing the text. They should also determine the writer’s attitude concerning the subject (Moss & Lapp, 2010). The expository texts have their application in the content area classrooms of the middle school. The content area classes include the social and science studies. In science classes, for example, students may learn about the cells and the main objective would be describing how the cell membranes permit some molecules to go through while others get blocked. The expository texts help in describing and analyzing the interlocking process of the cell membranes’ operation. It is in the fulfillment of some of the expository texts’ objectives, a description and analysis. In the social studies, on the other hand, students may make use of the comparison and contrast aspect. For instance, the students may be required to compare and contrast the puritan colonies in the New England with the Jamestown’s settlement (Paul, 2007).  The middle school teachers are, however, required to be considerate as they make use of expository texts to their students. The middle school students require attainable and reasonable learning goals for reading the expository texts. Teachers should consider subjecting their students to texts that get indicated at their level of reading. If not written at their level, the students will not manage to discover the content and ideas on their own but rather they will depend on their teacher for an explanation. Setting a goal is not a guarantee that the student will achieve the set goal. Teachers should plan efficient instruction. The teachers should assess the progress towards the set goals and if the students meet obstacles along the way, the teachers should consider modifying their plans. Sometimes, should differentiate instructions through setting unlike goals for different learners on the individual needs and reading levels basis (Woolley, 2011).  The advantages of using expository text The use expository texts in schools are of importance to students in several ways. The expository texts’ advantages are significant hence their broad usage in school’s curriculum. One advantage is that the expository texts make the presentation of the great pack of information straightforwardly possible. The expository texts are also very easy to read and write in the sense that they do not make use of archaic devices like poetic iambic pentameter. The expository texts also possess another advantage over the narrative texts in that they provide a clear interpretation exclusive of literary devices (Gore & Gore, 2010). The interpretations provided by the expository texts are easy and hence easily understood by various people. These advantages may, however, seem very obvious to many people as a result of the social expectations of the expository texts use in most of written material via academic society and subjects. However, it is crucial to getting that expository texts make an explanation of both the utility of teaching the students to read and understand the expository texts as well as the essentiality of comprehending exposition as the part of modern society’s basic life skills (LeMaster, 2009). The disadvantages of using only expository text The use of expository texts also possesses some disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that the expository texts are less intrinsically interesting that the narrative texts. Because students tend to enjoy stories more than the story’s drier descriptive, this aspect hence happens as a big blow towards sole use of expository texts and thus students may fail to learn the intended context. If a student is only to make use of the expository texts he or she will have a disadvantage in that he or she will miss a golden opportunity of making exploration of other abstract techniques of information transmission. The methods missed would be intrinsically part of the narrative literal devices such as metaphor, alliteration and symbolism. Another disadvantage of using expository texts only is that they do not allow artistic expression in a full range. In the poetic and narrative texts, the artistic expression is well taught and hence the sole use of the expository texts will disadvantage the students (Woolley, 2011). Five uses for expository text to promote comprehension and learning in middle-school content- area classrooms Several ways in which the expository texts can have their use in an efficient to enhance learning and comprehension are available. One of the proposed ways is the use of expository texts with intent of impinging logic aspect in the student’s mind. The expository texts can greatly help students develop logic skills if well taught. These logic aspects will greatly help the students to understand and comprehend their subjects by tackling present issues logically (Moss & Lapp, 2010). The second way is the formation of sound arguments through the expository texts. Well written expository texts always provide an argument that and in return prove it via logical reasoning. The exposure of young children to the texts will improve the formation of reasonable arguments to these children. The reasonable arguments will greatly help these children in their learning and comprehension skills (Gore & Gore, 2010). The use of expository texts with hidden structures to get identified by the students is the third way that will help in improving learning and comprehension skills of the students. When the students get involved in the identification of these structures, students are able to recognize and comprehend the entire text. By the learning and comprehension skills of students, they will have a great improvement (Woolley, 2011). Incorporating expository texts to separate facts from fictions is another mode that can greatly improve comprehension and learning skills of the students. The expository texts are sufficient and nonfiction helps readers to be more aware of the world around them the aspect of comprehension and learning. The use of expository texts in a sequential and chronological format is the final way in which the use of the expository texts can improve the comprehension tactics of the students. The main premise of the expository texts is explanation and clarification of difficult subjects. If expressed in a sequential and chronological manner the students will learn and also comprehend the subject. It will, therefore, improve the student’s learning and comprehension skills (LeMaster, 2009). A graphic organizer References Gore, M. C., & Gore, M. C. (2010). Inclusion strategies for secondary classrooms: Keys for struggling learners. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin. LeMaster, J. (2009). Critical reading: Deep reading strategies for expository texts. San Diego, CA: AVID. Moss, B., & Lapp, D. (2010). Teaching new literacies in grades K-3: Resources for 21st-century classrooms. New York: Guilford Press. Paul, R. (2007). Language disorders from infancy through adolescence: Assessment & intervention. St. Louis: Mosby. Woolley, G. (2011). Reading comprehension: Assisting children with learning difficulties. Dordrecht: Springer. Read More