Early literacy is a complex process. There is no question that this process is a valuable part of a student’s learning and helps create a strong foundation for future growth. There are countless strategies and methods to help children read and write. As such, each teacher will approach literacy instruction differently. Many people believe that a student should learn to read first and learn to write later. From this perspective, reading is a springboard to writing. This assumes that literacy develops in a very linear progression.

An alternative understanding of helping children to read and write is based on an understanding of reading and writing as reciprocal. The reciprocal perspective holds that learning to read and learning to write are complementary processes. Marie Clay has championed this concept, producing research to support the benefits of identifying reading and writing as reciprocal. Teachers who subscribe to this methodology teach reading and writing at the same time, removing any boundaries that separate these skills. This path to literacy requires a fluid school schedule rather than one that separates online reading and writing courses into different blocks of the school day.

Once you’ve done your research, you can present the information to your child in a variety of ways. You can approach homework as “reading time” with your child and read from her sources. Alternatively, you can set up a study space in your home where you can sit and learn with your children. Regardless of how you present or share the information with your children, it is important that you give them the opportunity to create a bit of their own.

Based on this point of view, young children will remember the text they have found as they begin to write. They also test their spelling skills as they read. Here’s an example: Imagine a teacher asks a child to spell the word “bone.” Probing him, he writes “fine.” At this point, the teacher adds the “e” to the end. The boy then exclaims, “Oh yeah! That’s how I remember seeing it at the science center!”

In short, helping children to read and write go hand in hand. Therefore, it is valuable to treat reading and writing as complementary skills, rather than separate ones. Early literacy instructors see great gains when they employ reciprocal instruction. For more information on Clay’s work on the interrelationship of reading and writing, see this reference:

Clay, MM (1998). The power of writing in early literacy. In MM Clay, Down Different Paths to Common Results (pp. 130-161). York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

For more information on early literacy instruction and academic support, contact the Ruth Rumack Learning Space at 416.925.1225 or visit http://www.ruthrumack.com.