The aim of this paper is to explicate the characteristics and problems of the units for expository text reading in elementary school Japanese textbooks, and to propose some viewpoints to develop new units as cores or elements of curriculum for expository text teaching. The viewpoints are as follows: 1) A typical unit of expository text should contain problem-solving ability, cognitive ability, and critical reading ability as well as basic reading comprehension skills, and should integrate them into a united structure; 2) The system of expository text teaching curriculum should be spiral so that children can learn those abilities and skills, which make it possible to read texts in authentic situations; 3) A new method for explaining the structures of curriculum should be cultivated and the results of the method should function as guiding principles in "teachers' manuals"; 4) A method should be cultivated to develop new teaching materials and organize them into units or curriculum.