How Writing A-Z Fuels the Reciprocity Between Writing and Reading
The author of How Writing Instruction Improves Reading Proficiency outlines how essential writing is to reading comprehension and that “evidence-based literacy instruction isn’t limited to just reading–writing is essential too.” Why aren’t we shouting this from rooftops? Writing improves reading! There is one point I’d like to make about writing instruction: we need to be clear that students need explicit writing instruction to benefit from the reciprocity between reading and writing. Let’s look at how Writing A–Z® helps leverage writing instruction to significantly impact students’ written expression and reading comprehension.
One way writing instruction supports reading comprehension is that as students learn to write about topics of their choice, they gain a deeper understanding of how reading works. Let’s unpack what we are talking about here. When students receive explicit writing instruction in Writing A–Z, the instruction is embedded in a genre: opinion/argumentation, informative, narrative.
This instruction begins with Module 1 of each genre unit, which is dedicated to teaching about the elements of the genre, its purpose, and the audience's role. When students start to compose their own piece of writing (Modules 2-5), they use the information from Module 1 to construct their message and meet the needs of their audience. The juxtaposition of writing with an audience in mind helps students build a deeper understanding of the texts they read and respect for the authors' choices. When students compose, they learn to appreciate the craft of writing.
In addition to embedding instruction within genres, Writing A–Z weaves explicit instruction into the writing process. Teaching the writing process and writing genres together while having students write for authentic purposes provides teachers with opportunities to teach skills that improve writing and reading. For example:
- Planning lessons include instruction in text structure, supported by genre-specific graphic organizers aligned with the elements of each genre, as well as brainstorming, gathering, and organizing details. Knowledge of text structures helps students form mental frameworks, which, when applied to reading, help students organize the big ideas and supporting details and connect information across the text.
- Drafting lessons include instruction in syntax, text organization, transition words, and practice applying encoding, handwriting, or keyboarding. As students transfer their notes from their graphic organizer to their draft, they must format their paragraphs and essays, reinforcing a framework for understanding text structures. Drafting also helps improve fluency. As students practice writing the sound/spelling patterns, the connections in their brains deepen while increasing the speed with which students read.
In the Writing A–Z digital writing platform, students see their genre-specific graphic organizer and drafting space side-by-side, making transferring ideas into sentences and paragraphs easier.
- Revision lessons are centered around meeting the needs of the audience. Students learn how to evaluate and revise their details, evidence, support, and word choice, use figurative language, and write introductions and conclusions. Revision lessons allow teachers to teach skills that improve both writing and reading.
Revision instruction covered in Writing A–Z.
- Editing lessons include instruction on grammar and mechanics in the context of students' writing with skill-based videos followed by interactive practice.
Reading and writing share the same body of knowledge, but the two processes start in different places. The reading process begins with students reading an author’s words, where they must decode and make sense of another person’s writing. They become detectives as they seek to understand the writer’s purpose. The writing process starts with students constructing their ideas and transcribing them into a format for another person to read.Like conductors of an orchestra, students think about what they want their audience to know as they compose a piece of writing that effectively communicates their ideas. Both processes must be taught for students to develop full literacy skills.
How Writing A-Z Improves Reading Proficiency
Improves Understanding of the Author’s Choices and Purpose
- Knowledge of writing builds a deeper understanding of how reading works.
- Teaching the writing process and writing genres together while having students write for authentic purposes provides teachers with opportunities to teach skills that improve writing and reading. For example, developing an argument with reasons and evidence, choosing vocabulary that connects ideas, writing sentences that build cohesion, and composing skills necessary for communicating ideas.
Improves Knowledge of Text Structure
- Having to format their paragraphs and essays reinforces a framework for understanding text structures.
- Knowledge of text structures helps students form mental frameworks, which, when reading, helps them organize the big ideas and supporting details and connect information across the text.
Improves Fluency
- Provides opportunities for students to practice sound/spelling patterns (or the code of English).
- Practicing “the code” via writing deepens connections in the brain, increasing the speed with which students read.