The link between reading and writing
St Cecilia's Primary School
At our staff meeting this week, we enjoyed a presentation from Sarah Bakker from Seven Steps to Writing that highlighted the link between what we read, and how we write. We were told to “read like writers, and write like readers”, as she explained how this approach can help us explore texts with our students, capturing the techniques authors use to make their writing compelling and difficult to put down.
Our mentor text was the magnificent Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. Exploring just the first two chapters of this well loved classic provided ample opportunities to discuss how Dahl's characters were likable or unlikable, and how he uses techniques such as contrast, similes, voice tone, repetition, action and sentence length to draw his readers in.
This practical session provided the staff with conversation prompts that we can use with any book, and demonstrated how simple analysis can deepen comprehension in addition to building understanding of authorial techniques.
Reading aloud to children of all ages remains important for this reason. By doing so, we are not simply creating a love of reading, but building stronger writers too.
Tracey Toner: ttoner@scgleniris.catholic.edu.au
