In this study, researchers at the University of Louisville reviewed 20 meta-analyses and systematic reviews to explore how reading and writing develop together in students from kindergarten to third grade. They included curricula and instructional strategies for teaching reading, writing, spelling, and handwriting and excluded any focused solely on professional development, teacher preparation, or textbook design.
The researchers explain that for children in kindergarten through third grade, writing and reading develop together as important literacy skills. Both activities are complex and connected, building from basic skills to more advanced uses. This connection is especially strong during K-3 when both skills grow together and development in one area accelerates development in the other. For example, when kindergarteners use invented spelling they enhance their phonemic awareness, an essential skill for reading. First graders read decodable texts which reinforce writing patterns while second graders analyze texts for features of good writing which develop their own writing. When third graders write summaries of texts they've read, they improve comprehension and composition skills.
They found that reading and writing develop together through shared foundational skills such as phonological awareness and spelling. For struggling students, handwriting and spelling instruction produced significant effects on word reading. Reading instruction, especially phonological awareness and phonemic segmentation (breaking down words into their individual sounds) significantly improved writing skills. Balanced literacy approaches (connected reading-writing activities, shared instructional time, and explicit connections between reading and writing) yielded similar results to reading-only programs with the added benefit of also improving writing. They found that explicit, systematic instruction was crucial, especially for struggling students and those with learning differences who needed more intensive support.
StepUp Note
This research shows how the basic skills of reading and writing actually form the neural networks of the reading-writing connection. StepUp to Learn includes Daily Practice phonics exercises creating a neural network linking pictures, spoken words, and written letters. It also includes Daily Practice exercises for air-writing and paper/pencil writing, creating muscle memory for sounds in words and for alphabet knowledge. In addition to these basic skills, StepUp brings the “fluency factor” into each Daily Practice exercise. Fluency turns skills into tools for new learning!
Note by Nancy W Rowe, MS, CCC/A