Passages which provide sequential information about particular topics and present material in accessible ways fall within the reference genre.

Reference genre can include maps, diagrams, catalogues, reference books, encyclopedias, atlases, and computer printouts.

Boston College

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)

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

Reading Across Genres: A Review of Literature

Literacy genre applies when the author of the passage has a purpose of narrating or describing personal or imaginative experiences.

Literacy genre can include stories, poetry, nursery rhymes, picture books, folk tales, plays, diaries, and literature from other countries.

Literacy Genre

Books which give instructions about how to complete tasks of initiate activities fall within the procedural genre.

Procedural genre can include guide books, sets of instructions, manuals, and forms.

Procedural Genre

Reference Genre

Expository passages are considered as such if it is scientific in nature, conveyed unfamiliar information unrelated to everyday experiences, focused on presenting information about a specific topic, and included technical/unfamiliar vocabulary. Written by authors who want to describe or explain objectively, inform, or discuss/argue about a topic. 

Includes guide books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, and leaflets. 

Expository passages are considered to be more difficult to comprehend compared to narrative passages.

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