MAKING THE READING WRITING CONNECTION

The connection between reading and writing is not a new concept to me. However, every moment it is addressed, something intriguing and interesting is addressed in the literature. The bridge between the two becomes shorter and shorter every time it is discussed.

Writing is intended to be read, thus, students must understanding the importance of reading and writing to become better readers and writers. The most interesting issue addressed is the different means of the reinforcement of writing through talking, listening and reading. Growing up, when writing my essays, I would read my story aloud for an imaginative audience. At that age, I thought that my colleagues would find it strange that I used this method, however, literature now shows the effectiveness of this method.  

Overall, I specifically enjoyed the method of having peers read to you what you have written. With this, you can hear your own writing and detect the gaps as well as the errors evident. 

When one writes, he or she has to think of the readers and vice versa. This philosophy reminds me of the ‘reader response theory’ by Louise Rosenblatt (1938); which state that every encounter with literature is different for every person, the meaning, background, and responses to the text are all drawn from individual experiences. Thus, the writer must create an image where readers of different communities can make inferences or draw conclusions based on their understanding.

Nonetheless, how plausible is it to implement all the highlighted strategies in classroom instruction?  Time is a major obstacle which I believe will deter the use of these strategies. Though effective, engaging and child friendly, sufficient amount of time is needed for all these objectives to be accomplished. Teacher knowledge and confidence is also important when teaching these ideas. Teachers should be competent in these areas to confidently transfer accurate information to these students.

All teachers should expose themselves to such literature which enlightens us on effective pedagogical skills in the teaching on the differing language arts. Students must experience reading and writing as a refreshing and therapeutic method of s the sharing their thoughts and feelings. I look forward to applying my newly acquired knowledge in bridging reading and writing as much as possible.