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Aleatra Nading Because Writing Matters Lynda Fernholz EDUC 319 26 March 2013

2 Because Writing Matters Every child is different and very unique in his or her own way. Some children may have strengths in certain areas, while that area may be a weakness for another child. Some children may prefer science to social studies, while other students may choose reading over math. No matter the subject area, students need a solid foundation both in reading and writing. Reading and writing go hand-and-hand and are used in every subject, as well as everyday life. Valerie & Foss-Swanson (2012) state, learning to write is crucial to literacy development. There are many different teaching techniques that can help a child grow in literacy. One of the most important components of literacy is writing because it is a way for individuals to communicate with one another. This paper will discuss the importance of educators modeling writing in the classroom, reading out loud to children and giving children time to read and write. Regardless the grade level teachers should model what is expected of the students, especially in writing as it can vary from one teacher to the next. Not only does it help the students to learn the expectations, but also it helps with their writing an essential life skill. If we as teachers show students how excited we are about writing, they too will want to take part in the process. Jennifer Gobin (2009) states, writing is the perfect opportunity to let students see you make mistakes. It is important to show students that we are not perfect and that we are continually trying to grow as authors ourselves. The mistakes we make as educators can become strong teachable moments. The students can become the editor of our work, which not only helps them feel important, but also teaches the useful skill of editing. Students also learn different techniques and strategies in writing when reading other peoples work. I know this was true for me as a student. I had a hard time starting a story or paper, but if I saw how other students wrote I could think of ideas for myself. Sample pieces of either the teachers work or past students

3 work can be very helpful to students. It is important for students to be presented with a variety of models both good writing as well as not so good. Another important aspect that coincides with writing skills is reading. Good writers are good readers and good readers are good writers. No matter the age, children should be read to daily, from infant on. According to Allington & Gabriel (2012), listening to an adult model fluent reading increases students own fluency and comprehension skills, as well as expanding their vocabulary, background knowledge, sense of story, awareness of genre, and text structure, and comprehension of the texts read. Again this emphasizes the importance of modeling for students, both writing and reading. I loved when my teachers would read a story to us. I always had a hard time with comprehension, but when the teacher read aloud they would explain what was going on, which really helped. I observed in a third grade classroom for one of my field experiences and the teacher read to the students every day before lunch for twenty minutes. It gave the students time to relax and they really enjoyed the story. For some students this is the only chance they have when an adult reads to them. Some children do not have parents or other adults at home who can sit down at night and read to their children. I was fortunate enough to have parents who read bedtime stories at night when I was younger. As I got older, I remember nights when mom would sit down and help me with my reading, especially if we started a new book. I always had a hard time getting into a book and understanding the plot. A child is more likely to enjoy reading if it was modeled in the home and at school. Teachers cannot expect students to pick up a book on their own; it starts at home at a young age. Reading aloud will help our students become better readers and writers. Another key factor for helping students grow in their literacy skills is to allow them time to read and write. Valerie and Foss-Swanson (2012) write that family message journals require

4 little planning time and no grading time for teachers, yet students increase the time that they spend on writing. I think it is important to allow students time to jot down thoughts and ideas and just write. I love the idea of journals, as it becomes a daily routine for the children. The journals that Valerie & Foss-Swanson (2012) talk about provided a built-in authentic purpose for writing increased writing time, and assisted in communication between school and home. Students knew that their parents or guardians were the audience and their messages had a purpose. Children take pride in their work and communicate more effectively when given opportunities to write for authentic purposes. A journal is a great way to start the day. It allows students to come into class and get settled. It is a time for students to organize their thoughts and build oral language with family members at night. Along with giving time for writing teachers need to make sure there is a lot of time for reading. Children need the opportunity to have free read, which means they can read the text of their choice. Students are more likely to comprehend, read more, and want to read if they are allowed to choose what to read (Allington & Gabriel, 2012). This does not mean take away assigned texts, as assigned texts are important for a variety and building background knowledge. Students enjoy talking about what they are reading and share it with their friends, so why not give them time to do this. Children can learn a lot from one another and this would be a great way for students to share different books and add them to their own list of books to read. Reading and writing are essential life skills and should be implemented every day, even if it is only for a short time period. When considering the importance of reading and writing that lead to essential life skills there are many strategies a teacher should consider. Every teacher wants his or her students to succeed not only in school, but also in life; that is why it is extremely important to help build that

5 solid literacy foundation for students, as it is an essential life skill. Educators can help their students grow by modeling good reading and writing in the classroom. It can be a simple as reading aloud to the students every day, even if it is only for a short while. Lastly, teachers need to give the students time to read and write. When teachers dedicate time to these areas the students will see how important reading and writing is in their life. These strategies do not take a lot of time and are very easy to implement into the everyday classroom routine. Teachers will do whatever it takes to help their students become successful in literacy.

6 References Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. E. (2012). Every child, every day. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 10-15. Gobin, J. (2009). Successful and less stressful: Improving writing instruction in the elementary grades. Kentucky English Bulletin, 58(2/3), 29-31. Valerie, L. M., & Foss-Swanson, S. (2012). Hey! Guess what I did in school today. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(3), 40-48.

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