With developing writers, I am increasingly getting the sense that one of the key lessons that needs to be taught is that they must consciously decide which type of writing they are performing. Part of this decision should be explicitly aided by the teacher's instruction, for instance through explicit instructions and mentor texts prior to the going out and writing a given assignment. Another part of this is to give them the tools to know how different forms of writing are differently capable of presenting the thesis or information they are trying to communicate.
While some of the writing samples my student has created are better geared toward a simple report format, with presentation of a series of interesting facts being the goal of his writing product, other samples are clearly reaching toward the presentation of a contentious argument. Young writers do not necessarily differentiate between different forms of non-fiction writing, but helping them to realize that different objectives require disparate writing forms is a key to helping them to learn to write with more precision, control, and intent.
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