Providing young children with a better balance between narrative and expository text makes sense. Initially, children develop fluency through familiar narrative structures and themes. As the children achieve reading fluency, however, they benefit from increased exposure to expository text. Supporting this thrust are varied approaches and resources, including installing a classroom library, reading aloud, and using magazines. Maintaining a balance of narration and exposition also means not overdoing one type of text to the deemphasis or preclusion of the other, regardless of the teaching-learning context. The challenge to educators, especially those supporting a whole language philosophy, is to encourage a balance of discourse types as children engage in authentic literacy events throughout the school year. (RS)