Ch. 6 Capitalize on the Reading Writing Connection

I so agree with this chapter when it states that, "Children who read literature.....become better writers than children who primarily read basal reading texts." Therefore, it's important to have children reading trade books and for the teacher to do read aloud in the classroom. Read aloud is something that I do in my classroom every day. It's a good wind down for the kids after lunch and more importantly, it offers us a great springboard for discussions on the author's writing. Another thought that stuck with me on this chapter is the importance of teaching children to reread their writing. Children often times forget or choose not to do this, however when they begin to share, they often find little mistakes that they have to verbally correct such as an omitted word or incomplete sentence. Rereading my writing is something that I've made a conscious effort to model and point out during shared writing or even writing notes on the board.