Developing Writing for Different Purposes : Teaching About Genre in the Early Years

`Jeni Riley and David Reedy share excellent examples of how primary school children worked on a non-fiction text format.... A well-informed book with a welcome dose of humour′ - Nursery World

`The theoretical underpinning to this volume is rigorous and the case studies are both endearing and informative′ - Early Years

`One of the insights of social theories of language which is now taken for granted is that language varies as the social context varies′ (Kress, 1997)

This is a book that operationalizes this insight: it charts young children′s early attempts to write as they struggle to communicate meaning for a variety of purposes. Each section deals with the appropriate research evidence on the development of children′s competence in literacy, and their growing awareness of genre, and uniquely, with a clear approach to teaching children from three to seven years. The text combines the necessary theoretical underpinning plus the day-to-day practical experience of working with young children in order to develop their understanding of the different forms and language of texts.

Jeni Riley is Head of School of Early Childhood and Primary Education at the Institute of Education, University of London.