The development of reading and writing depends on the
use of reading and writing skills throughout everyday situations.
The classroom-learning environment that incorporates the integration of
reading and writing is crucial to literacy.
Literature needs to be genuine situations that the students encounter or
go beyond their experiences (Brooks, 1988).
It should provide experiences that can be explored through reading and
writing. Teachers need to provide a
literacy environment where the students know that they are
being involved in reading and writing. In
the classroom, teachers need to make efficient use of the instructional time
connecting reading and writing (Heller, 1991; Shanahan, 1988). Teachers
need to understand the connection of reading and writing in order for it to be
implemented in the curriculum so that instruction can reflect the developmental
nature of the reading-writing connection (Shanahan, 1988, Shanahan, 1997).
Rather than teach separate reading and writing skills, instruction should
integrate new concepts through reading and writing activities that would develop
thinking and language skills. The processes of learning to read and write should
become intertwined in natural language activities (Miller, 1982).
Teachers should spend less time on workbooks and worksheet and more time
on providing varied reading and writing experiences that take place concurrently
to help the students realize that one process supports the other and these
experiences have significant and personal meaning for the students (Goodman
& Goodman, 1983; Heller, 1991; Tompkins, 1990).
Teachers need to engage students in reading-writing activities
and integrate them into instruction in order for learning to occur (Brooks,
1988). Students need to have
continuous opportunities to read and write meaningful text, collaboration with
and direct teaching of reading and writing, and modeling of the reading and
writing process (Aulls, 1985). Teachers
should provide opportunities for students to understand reading-writing
connection between becoming a reader and writer (Boutwell, 1983; Brooks, 1988;
Shanahan, 1997).
Teachers need to provide students
with rich literacy experiences so that they can read and write in various
situations for a variety of reasons (Shanahan, 1988).
Being able to read on a critical level is vital to reading and writing
(Mayo, 2000). Students'
relationship with an author develops when reading and writing are interrelated
(Tierney & Caplan et al, 1989). Reading should be used for gaining insight for writing in
different genres to develop students' style and form in writing.
(Dionisio, 1983; Smith, 1983). “Everything
points to the necessity of learning to write from what we read” (Smith, 1983,
p. 560). To learn how to write
poetry, students need to read poems and discuss them in terms of structure and
author's purpose, which can't be learned in a textbook.
Teachers need to encourage students to experience reading like writers so
that they can internalize the quality and structure of good writing (Mayo,
2000). Teachers need to provide the
opportunities to respond to literature as a reader as well as examine the
writer's style to see what evoked the reader's response.
Students need to analyze the text and use the author's style into their
own writing. Students will
synthesize ideas and characters from books and incorporate these ideas into
their own writing (Dionisio, 1983; Mayo, 2000; Tierney & Caplan et al.,
1989; Tierney & Leys, 1984). Using a text that a student can visualize himself/herself
writing and being able to analyze and discuss the writing is the key to success
in bringing reading and writing together in the classroom (Mayo, 2000).
Thus, reading various types of literature, students will be able to write
better and read with an understanding of the author's intent (Mayo, 2000).
Reading and writing together can be used to explore a topic in
literature, construct meaning, appreciate the author's style, and enhance
attitude and motivation to learn. (Goodman & Goodman, 1983; Tierney &
Caplan et al., 1989). Reading and
writing must be integrated into the curriculum because of their connection and
meaning must be the impetus in the development of the reading and writing
process (Wilson, 1981)