Connections+Reading+and+Writing+Literacy

Connections Reading and Writing Literacy

Reading and writing go hand in hand together in the elementary school classroom. A student cannot be expected to read something with no reaction or some form of writing. As an English Literature major, I speak from experience! When you are reading a book, there are many thoughts going through your head and writing them helps keep it together. Balanced literacy makes reading and writing even more effective when it is taught properly. Reading and writing are found in every aspect of a student's education, and the more developed the reading and writing is, the better the student can do in other academic areas as well. The most important aspect of reading and writing is comprehension and making connections. The student has to comprehend what they are reading in order to properly respond to it, and making connections to self, text to text, or text world can improve the comprehension and writing of any student. Many students can benefit from a simple prompt such as "This reminds me of...".

[|Read Write Think] This website has great resources, ideas, and lessons for teachers on how to incoporate reading and writing into daily lessons.

[|UCONN Connections Reading & Writing] A great resource from UCONN on teaching writing and reading.

The Writing Process for Students: (from []) **2. Write a rough draft** **3. Write your first revision** **4. Give your composition to a parent for editing and comments** **5. Write your final draft**
 * 1. Brainstorm**
 * Brainstorming gets your ideas flowing so you can write. Never skip this important step!
 * There are many ways to brainstorm. Make lists, mind-maps, charts, Venn diagrams, writing clusters, outlines, etc.
 * It does not have to be neat---just make sure it's readable.
 * Be sure you skip lines as you write (double-space if typing) to make room for editing and revising.
 * Edit your own rough draft, using a checklist to help you make necessary corrections.
 * Continue the practice of double-spacing or skipping lines.
 * Then use your checklist once again to recheck your paper for content, style, and mechanics. Make corrections as needed.
 * This copy should be neatly written.
 * Your mom or dad should use a specific checklist to edit your paper and make suggestions for improvement.
 * Remember that an author never publishes his rough draft! He spends much time revising his own work and then asks others to make suggestions.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Using your parent's suggestions, rewrite your paper one more time. Try not to look at these suggestions as criticisms, but as ideas to help you become the best writer you can be!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Pay close attention to details as you type or neatly rewrite your final draft.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Double-check your paper against your checklist to make sure style and mechanics are still okay, especially if you moved or added sentences or made other major changes.