Many people think teaching reading good writing will improve students'
writing. Like so many popular beliefs, that one contains just enough
truth to be dangerous.
It is true that good writers are usually good readers, but reading
good writing even reading with good comprehension
may not turn people into good writers.
Training someone to understand an engineering document is not likely
to make that person a good sonneteer, is it? Nor is reading Jane
Austen likely to boost Caitlin's ability to write biology lab reports.
It is just as reasonable to think that the ability to write well
improves a person's reading ability as to think reading well makes
people write well.
Actually, for reading and writing to have reciprocal
benefits, a person must read and write material written in the
same genre.
NB: I am not talking about exposing students to good reading
or good writing. I'm talking about teaching both reading
and writing.
Expository reading is required
In English language arts courses, we tend to concentrate on reading
imaginative literature. We
may overlook the fact that all our students must read and write
expository prose, not imaginative literature.
Everything from the chapter introductions in their algebra book
to social studies discussion questions are
expository prose. In those authentic reading situations, students
display their reading skill by using the information in some
way.
Expository reading is valuable
Because expository nonfiction
is so vital to our students' academic and workplace success, it
should be the primary focus of middle- and high school reading
comprehension activities.
You and I may not find that factual material particularly interesting,
but the ordinary kids in our classes value it more highly than the
creative literature we enjoy.
We shouldnt throw out the novels and poetry because students
dont value them. Nor should we skip teaching students how
to read that material.
created 19-Mar-2008; updated: 22-Sep-2008