I never thought much of the strategies behind reading and writing when I was in school. Now that I’m beginning my journey to becoming a teacher, the task of teaching these strategies to future students is incredibly important to me. There is such power that comes from learning to read and write. I loved learning to read as a child, but found the task of writing to be quite daunting. I didn’t think about how “reading and writing are reciprocal processes” (Tompkins, 2018, p. 61). The five stages of reading and writing have overlapping tasks, such is the case in Stage 3: Responding in the Reading Process and Revising in the Writing Process. If the stages in reading and writing are similar, why is it then that I found reading to be exciting, but writing to be intimidating?
I would argue that reading and writing were not integrated together as much as they could have been while I was in school. I had teachers who read stories aloud, as well as shared reading take place in the classroom. However, guided reading and partner reading were not activities that took place very often. The process of writing was also not discussed after reading. By discussing the tools the writer used after reading, it can help guide the process of writing. This can take place in Stage 4: Exploring in the Reading Process.
Through my teaching observations, students work much more often in groups and reading is scaffolded for different levels. While independent reading is the most authentic type of reading (Tompkins, 2018, p. 44), it is essential that students are offered support when learning to read and build up to independent reading. Prereading is also an essential first step so that students can prepare before reading, including making predictions in reading logs and through discussions. This is a way to activate the writing process alongside the reading process.
In my classroom, I would like to include reading and writing workshops. Lucy Calkins’ Reading and Writing workshop were being used in my observations and I found it to be very engaging for the students. Here is the link for an overview of the workshops: http://www.unitsofstudy.com/shared/resources/Overview%20of%20A%20Day’s%20Reading%20or%20Writing%20Workshop.pdf
I strive to make reading and writing enjoyable for my students. The foundational skills are essential and can open the pathway to many doors. What are strategies that you use to teach reading and writing to students in your classroom?
Reference: Tompkins, G. E. (2018). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach 7th Ed. New York: Pearson.
Ariana's Teaching Journey 
As I think about my own school experiences, I agree that the way reading and writing were taught are much different than they are in today’s classrooms. Sure, I learned how to read and write, but I would have loved for my teachers to have used these types of strategies to help me integrate them along the way. I believe that reading and writing definitely intertwine and they influence each other, which is why I try to provide meaningful opportunities for my own students. Reading Responses are one simple way we take a text, sometimes chosen by myself and sometimes by the students themselves, read it over with a certain lense or purpose in mind, and then write about it through various writing styles, storytelling, answering questions, creating Google Slide presentations, etc. When we are reading an article that presents an issue that has multiple perspectives or a controversial topic, our students will respond using the CER method: state the Claim, include Evidence, and provide Reasoning. It is incredible to see the student’s growth in literacy throughout the school year as they learn how to fully articulate a topic and the various sides to it.
Along with Guided Reading and Writing, which is specific to the student’s needs, we also read core novels as a class through Interactive Read Aloud. The students listen to the audio book while following along in their student copy and I pause at various points throughout to have a discussion depending on what a character has done or said, or maybe when something happens that we weren’t predicting, and so on. During these brief pauses, I also have the students jot down ideas or draw images/icons in their Writer’s Notebooks or on sticky notes to help them analyze the text and have that visual to look back on as needed. Our first core novel this year is WONDER, and I am so excited to start it with my students next week! Hopefully you can find use for one of these ideas in your classroom one day too.
LikeLike
I cannot agree more with you. Growing up it seemed like reading and writing were never taught coincide but rather just as two separate units of study. It seems as it is the complete opposite of what we do now. At least in the district I work for, we are responsible for making sure that our units of study are aligned, my class is currently reading passages on Hurricanes, we are writing about them, we discuss it it in math when we talk about wind speeds, and it is a science topic; the topic of hurricanes is interwoven throughout our entire day.
I appreciate the link that you shared on the writing and reading workshops it’s a well thought our plan that seems great to use in the classroom.
LikeLike