Nurturing a love of reading comes naturally when we rely on good research to guide us. On edu@scholastic, we're featuring five important issues related to children's literacy development—and evidence supporting the importance of each one. Today we take on "Reading and Writing Connections." For more information about the joy and importance of reading, and to download research and lesson plans, be sure to explore our Open a World of Possible homepage.
Every time we enter a text as a reader, we receive a writing lesson: how to spell, punctuate, use proper grammar, structure a sentence or paragraph, and organize a text. We also learn the many purposes writing serves and the different genres and formats it assumes to serve these varied purposes (Duke et al., 2013; Culham, 2014; 2012). And every time we create a text as a writer, we receive a reading lesson. Evidence shows that high-quality writing instruction can improve students' reading comprehension, reading fluency, and word-solving skills (Graham & Hebert, 2011).
Writing about reading makes comprehension visible; it also helps readers frame and focus their understanding (Serravallo, 2012, 13; Graham & Perin, 2007; Graham & Hebert, 2010). Indeed, asking students to write about their reading may provide the best window into their reading process and comprehension (Serravallo, 2012; 2013; Roessing, 2009).
References:
Culham, R. (2014). The writing thief: Using mentor texts to teach the craft of writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Culham, R. (2011). “Reading with a writer’s eye.” In T. Rasinski’s Rebuilding the foundation: Effective reading instruction for 21st century literacy. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Duke, N., Caughian, S., Juzwik, M., & Martin, N. (2013). Reading and writing genre with purpose in K-8 classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Graham, S. & Hebert, M. (2010). “Writing to read: A meta-analysis of the impact of writing and writing instruction on reading.” Harvard Educational Review. Vol. 81. No. 4 Winter.
Graham, S. & Perin, D, (2007) Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools. A report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Roessing, L. (2009). The write to read: Response journals that increase comprehension. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Serravallo, J. (2012; 2013). Independent reading assessment: Fiction and nonfiction. New York: Scholastic.
