Musings on Informational Texts

The research I read in Duke's article "3.6 minutes per day: The scarcity of informational texts in the first grade" didn't come as a shock to me. Having spent my entire career at the secondary level has made this fact apparent. Even in my teaching of eleventh and twelfth grades, I've had to "undo" what students have retained about narrative texts when attempting to teach informational texts. They regularly refer to all texts as "stories." Actual people are called characters. They ask about the plot. The headings and subtitles confuse them. It is clear though that they are well-versed in the world of narrative reading and navigation thereof.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read this excerpt from the article:

I assume that development of genre knowledge proceeds in a genre-specific matter. That is, I assume that one learns how to read or write a genre through experience with that genre, experience with other genres may be helpful but will not be sufficient. So, for example, all the experience in the world reading and writing comic books will not by itself render someone able to read or write a cookbook. Similarly, extensive experience with storybooks, while beneficial in many respects, will not alone result in children being able to read and write information books. Learns must have experience with the particular genres in question in order to fully develop the ability to read and write (in) those genres.

It's one of the most logical passages I've read in a long time. What I have trouble understanding is why teachers, curriculum supervisors and book publishers aren't taking this to heart. Why aren't we reevaluating what we provide students on a regular basis? Do we continue to rely on narrative texts because they are easy? Because students like them? Many adults I know do not pick up novels to read for pleasure. Those same adults, though, regularly read articles--informational texts--online. It's ironic that the one text we escape as young students creeps up regularly in our adult life. We must review our practice and our curricula. Are we preparing students for success or are we leaving them in the lurches?