THE EMERGENCE OF GENRES - SOME FINDINGS FROM AN EXAMINATION OF 1ST-GRADE WRITING

This article examines the writing and drawing produced by a group of c hildren 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 w riting 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 fol lowing. Quantitative and qualitative changes in the organization of te xts, with genres appearing as adaptations rather than fixed forms or g eneralized verbal products; an interplay among drawing, talking, readi ng, and writing in the construction of genres; the influence of the sp ecific recurring social context of Writing Workshop and the genres sur rounding and embedded in it; and the impact overall of the socializati on into literacy occurring within this specific classroom community.