Littlefair identifies 4 types of writing in "English for Ages 5 to 16):
- Literacy genre
- Expository genre
- Procedural genre
- Reference genre

Genre Theory: Littlefair (1991)

Arnold identifies 3 types of writing in the "Diagnostic Reading Record":
- Narrative genre
- Autobiographical genre
- Informational genre

Genre Theory: Arnold (1992)

Genre theory has emerged as a result of Halliday's (1978) study on the relationship between language and its social context. The relationship between cultural environment, the purpose of our communication, and the genres we use in language form the basis of genre theory. 

This theory emphasizes that language and meaning of communication are interactive, thus making it difficult to separate the two ideas. Genre may be considered as reflecting socio-linguistic interactions within society.

Research suggests that genre is a useful tool in enabling educators to categorize texts on the basis of their form and meaning, and genre may have more to do with reading comprehension success/failure than one might initially believe.

Reading Comprehension and Genre Theory

- Littlefair (1991): English for Ages 5 to 16
- Arnold (1992): Diagnostic Reading Record

Boston College

Stamboltzis, A., & Pumfrey, P. (2000). Reading across Genres: a Review of Literature. Support for Learning, 15(2), 58. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/10.1111/1467-9604.00146

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