Readers use different processes to read different kinds of text. Three principles can guide teachers in helping their students better understand the nuances of different genres. Teachers should engage students in reading and writing for real-world reasons, develop students' knowledge of specific genre features, and teach strategies tailored to specific genres. The "genre-with-purpose" approach goes beyond "genre study" or learning genre features for their own sake. Instead, it embeds genre instruction in a rich bed of purpose-driven activity that both students and teachers find more engaging and instructive. (Contains 2 figures and 1 endnote.)