3. How do you
think reading
and writing are
connected?
4. READING WRITING
Involves communication Involves communication
Very few people are speed Very few written works were
readers; good readers take perfect immediately; it is a
time with the text. process that takes work.
involves reading slowly involves careful organizing
involves RE-reading of thoughts
involves RE-writing
The reader reads to hear the message from the writer; the writer writes to
convey a message to the reader.
5. ACTIVE READERS ACTIVE WRITERS
Engage with the text Engage with other writer’s
Write a personal response texts
Write in the margins Analyze use of words
Ask questions of the Consider text structure
text/author Think about complex issues
Looks for the Main Idea Provide a thesis statement
(Thesis Statement) (Main Idea)
Looks for how the writer Provide supporting details
supports the Main Idea for the thesis statement
(Thesis Statement (Main Idea)
6. What benefits do you
think come from reading
while writing and writing
while reading?
7. BENEFITS OF READING BENEFITS OF WRITING
Exposes readers to accurate spelling Allows writers to voice their thoughts
Exposes readers to accurate forms of Provides writers with a vehicle to use their
writing imaginations
Shows readers how to write more Gives writers a chance to engage in a
complex sentences conversation with other writers
Invites readers to be more experimental in Aids writers in reading critically of other
their own writing works
Provides readers with motivation to Motivates writers to engage with the texts
engage with the text through their own they are reading
writing
Allows readers to hear the thoughts of
others
8. How Can YOU Connect Reading and Writing?
Don’t just read other works by other authors; engage in
communication with them through writing.
•Consider the topic before beginning to read. Can you connect the topic with
your own life? What are your thoughts about the topic? Write these down
before reading.
•Keep a journal. This allows you a place to voice your thoughts about a reading
before and after you read the piece.
•Experiment. Change the characters. Change the ending. Change where and
when the story takes place.
•Study the format. How did the writer organize their thoughts in the article or
story? Would you have organized it differently?
•Write in the margins. This is called annotations. While reading, jot down notes
and questions you have in the margins. Highlight unfamiliar words. Draw a
picture.
9. Let’s look at how one writer organized an
essay based on our topic of getting a
college degree.
Can you spot her thesis statement (main
idea)?
Can you spot the three reasons she came
up with to support her thesis statement?
10. I work two jobs to take care of my family. Neither job pays very much money, and I have to work
both of them in order to pay the bills and put food on the table. A friend suggested I go back to
school. I couldn’t see how that will help me, but then I started thinking about it. Getting a college
degree will help me build a better life for me and my children because I could get a better job, be a
better parent, and feel better about myself.
With a college degree, I can find a better job. A degree will help me find a less boring job. In
addition, I will have more options when seeking employment. I will be able to work just one job
instead of two or three, and I will make more money.
If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent. I would be able to spend more time with my
children because I do not have to work two jobs. I could also get them some things they want
because I would have more money. Once I have a good job, we can live in a better place. Finally, my
having a college degree makes me a a good role model for them.
Having a college degree helps me to feel better about myself. When you get respect from others,
it makes you feel good inside. Also, I will respect myself because I achieved an important goal, and it
will encourage me to go on to achieve other goals.
Most would agree that finishing my college degree will not be easy, but as you can see, it will be
worth it. My children will be happier because I can provide for them and be a good role model for
them. Most importantly, finishing this goal will make me feel good about myself which will reflect on
my role as a parent. So, what am I waiting for? I’m going to look into getting a college degree today
and start building a better future for me and my children!
11. I work two jobs to take care of my family. Neither job pays very much money, and I have to work
both of them in order to pay the bills and put food on the table. A friend suggested I go back to
school. I couldn’t see how that will help me, but then I started thinking about it. Getting a college
degree will help me build a better life for me and my children because I could get a better job, be
a better parent, and feel better about myself.
With a college degree, I can find a better job. A degree will help me find a less boring job. In
addition, I will have more options when seeking employment. I will be able to work just one job
instead of two or three, and I will make more money.
If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent. I would be able to spend more time with my
children because I do not have to work two jobs. I could also get them some things they want
because I would have more money. Once I have a good job, we can live in a better place. Finally, my
having a college degree makes me a a good role model for them.
Having a college degree helps me to feel better about myself. When you get respect from others,
it makes you feel good inside. Also, I will respect myself because I achieved an important goal, and it
will encourage me to go on to achieve other goals.
Most would agree that finishing my college degree will not be easy, but as you can see, it will be
worth it. My children will be happier because I can provide for them and be a good role model for
them. Most importantly, finishing this goal will make me feel good about myself which will reflect on
my role as a parent. So, what am I waiting for? I’m going to look into getting a college degree today
and start building a better future for me and my children!
12. Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for
me and my children because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and
feel better about myself. The
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job. Roadmap
1. Get a less boring job for this
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one job, not two student’s
Paragraph 3: essay
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
1. Spend more time with them because I don’t have to work two jobs. started out
2. Get them some things they want with a main
3. Live in a better place
4. Be a good role model for them idea and 3
Paragraph 4: support
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel better
about myself. points!
1. Get respect from others
2. Respect myself because I achieved an important goal
3. Go on to achieve other goals
Paragraph 5:
Conclusion: Most would agree that finishing my college degree will not be
easy, but as you can see, it will be worth it.
13. After reading the student’s essay, can
you take your three reasons for getting a
college degree and form a roadmap for
an essay?
What would you do the same?
What might you do differently?
14. Thank you for
your time!
Happy
reading!
Happy
writing!
15. References
• Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading, a new report from Carnegie Corporation
of New York published by the Alliance for Excellent Education.
• Writing and Reading Working Together, an occasional paper from Robert J. Tierney, Rebekah
Caplan, Linnea Ehri, Mary K. Healy, and Mary Hurdlow. August, 1988 in Writing and Reading: Collaboration
in the Classroom? Edited by Anne Haas Dyson. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
• Connecting Reading and Writing in College EFL Courses by Jui-min Tsai, Ohio State University
Notes de l'éditeur
Think about the benefits of getting a college degree. Jot down at least 3 good things that can come out of getting a college degree.
The classic question – Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Many people think reading and writing are separate things. But they go together, much like the chicken and the egg. You can’t have one without the other.
Ask the class the question and gather a few responses from them.
Reading and Writing have one essential thing in common – they are both forms of communication. Reading involves taking the time to digest what is written. Good readers do not speed read. They read slowly and thoughtfully and they take the time to RE read when they don’t understand what the writer is saying.Writing involves taking the time to organize your thoughts in a way that will aid the reader in understanding what you are trying to say. Good writers do not stop after the first draft. Good writing is RE written many times until the writer is sure they have organized their thoughts well.
If we think about reading and writing as being connected, we can see that they work together.The active reader engages with the text by…..The active writer engages with the text by….
Combining reading and writing has many benefits to both the reader and the writer. Spelling: by reading other writer’s, the reader is exposed to how words are used and spelled. They will be more likely to use words correctly after seeing how good writers use them.Form: by seeing the forms that good writers use to write, the reader learns new ways to organize their own thoughts.Sentences: new writers tend to write in short, choppy sentences. Studies have shown that people who read good writing are more likely to tackle longer and more complex sentence structure.Experiment: active readers are more likely to experiment in their own writing. Having studied good writers, readers have a clearer picture of what makes good writing and are more open to trying to emulate those good writers.Motivation: Studies show that the more one reads, the more motivated they become to ask questions of the text, to question the choices in structure and form that the writer made.
Remember that communication is a two way street. Reading and Writing directly impact one another. Use your own writing to join into a conversation with what you are reading.
The writer took her ideas and formulated them into complete sentences. Notice that she puts all of her original points into her first paragraph. This is her thesis statement.She then creates a paragraph from each point, again using specific details.Finally, she sums up and restates her thesis statement in the conclusion of the essay.
This is an outline of the student’s essay – her essay roadmap. You can’t go wrong if you give yourself a roadmap to follow. Not all good writing follows this outline to a tee, but all good writing follows some form of organization.
Hand out a blank roadmap and ask the students to formulate their 3 things into complete sentences.