The Relationship Between Reading and Writing

A seasoned education professional, Yellow Springs, Ohio, resident Shadia Alvarez is the executive director at Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center. With experience in academic administration and curriculum development, Shadia Alvarez likes to read and write.

While writing involves crafting letters or numbers on a surface, reading entails obtaining information from looking at words. Despite the difference, both reading and writing are acts of communication. They require cognitive abilities such as processing speed, attention, verbal working memory, and executive functioning.

The two are codependent in more than one way. Researchers have found that children write better when they read a lot. The reverse is also true; reading fluency improves when students receive writing instruction. The idea is that the mind links sounds to words when one writes and reads simultaneously.

Writing also helps with concept mastery after reading. By summarizing the material and taking notes, students retain information better. In addition, reading provides knowledge that informs what they write.

Although writing requires more mental energy, both writing and reading require practice. To assist children in developing the skills, educators can use genre study and integrate sound instruction in literacy classes.