Bridging the Gap from Reading to Writing Dr. L. Lennie Irvin, San Antonio College

The Problem  How do we help students cross the bridge from reading to writing based from that reading? Reading has its process, and writing has its process, and students are expected magically to jump from one to the other.

About Me  Community college teachers since 1989  At SAC since 1994  Co-Director, San Antonio Writing Project since 2006  Ph.D. in 2011  I firmly believe (with Peter Elbow) that “everyone can write.”

The need for “authentic literacy”  “If we sincerely desire to make college an option for record numbers of students, our task is simple: we need to reclaim the hundreds of hours each year that are now spent on non-academic tasks. We need to redirect those hours toward the most simple, obvious tasks that prepare students for college, careers, and citizenship: meaningful reading, writing, speaking, and thinking—around an adequately coherent body of content in the subject area.” (28)   Mike Schmoker, Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning (2011).

The goal-directed nature of reading-to-write  Reading-to-write makes a special demand for critical literacy because … it brings these two processes [reading and writing] into strong interaction.

 The reading process is guided by the need to produce a text of one’s own. The reader as writer is expected to manipulate information and transform it to his or her own purposes.  And the writing process is complicated by the need to shape one’s own goals in response to the ideas or even the purposes of another writer.  Linda Flower et. al. Reading-to-Write (6, 1990)

Models of Reading-to-Write Assignments

Assignment template skill list from the Literacy Design Collaborative

A look at my own read to write process  Begins with close reading (and re-reading)

 and then I take notes of what I think is important from the reading

 Next I sort relevant notes from multiple sources (quotes or information) around key topics I will discuss in my paper. One “evidence sheet” for each topic.

 Finally, as I write on those key topics, I pull relevant quotes and information from these evidence sheets.

Moving from Reading to Writing: “The Story of An Hour”--linklink

Begin with close reading

Provide (or find) an “Essay Question” and Brainstorm for Reasons Find Primary Supports for the Thesis Declare a Focused Thesis Analyze/Understand a Writing Prompt tm

Sample Brainstorming

Let’s Brainstorming Ourselves Topic/Subject: Marriage Essay Question: What does the story communicate about marriage? Tentative Thesis: Chopin in her story communicates that marriage is a “joy that kills.” [WHY? Why do you believe this story communicates that marriage is a joy that kills?] --because… …

Brainstorming for reasons example Topic/Subject: Marriage Essay Question: What does the story communicate about marriage? Tentative Thesis: Chopin in her story communicates that marriage is a “joy that kills.”

Mini-outline sheets  Work on defining and phrasing of Primary Supports  Early work on what will be transition sentences for Body paragraphs  claim/thesis + reason

Developing Secondary Support: Finding Textual Evidence Develop Specific Secondary Support for Each Primary Support Find Primary Supports for the Thesis Declare a Focused Thesis Analyze/Understand a Writing Prompt es/Support.htm

Textual Evidence Sheets

Try it yourself  Each Evidence Sheet focuses on a SINGLE Primary Support  Restate the Essay Question and the Thesis  Write out the CLAIM + REASON (Primary Support)  E.g. Chopin communicates that marriage is a joy that kills because the view out the window reveals a freedom and life missing in her marriage.  What evidence IN THE TEXT is there that shows/proves that what she sees out the window reveals a freedom and life absent in her marriage life? On one side write the quote exactly word for word On the other side explain how the quote is showing or proving the reason to be true or likely

Writing from Evidence Sheets  Evidence sheets become sources of selected textual support that students can access as they build supporting paragraphs

Now try writing a supporting paragraph using some of the quotes  Use this sentence as your transition sentence to start the paragraph:  In addition, Chopin in her story communicates that marriage is a joy that kills because the view out the window reveals a freedom and life missing in her marriage.  or… maybe this is a better transition (especially if you want to avoid “because”)  In addition, the story’s anti-marriage theme is revealed in the freedom and life she views outside the window that has been missing in her marriage and is now suddenly available to her.

Using Quotes  I spend a lot of time working with students about how to use quotes effectively for evidence and meaning.  WGuides/quotes.htm WGuides/quotes.htm

Sharing

Discussion  How might you use in your classroom?

 Works Cited  “Assignment Template.” California State University. Expository Reading and Writing Course—Assignment template. late.pdf late.pdf  Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom. Portsmouth: Heinemann,  Flower, Linda. et al. Reading to Write: Exploring a Cognitive & Social Process. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, Print.  Irvin, Lennie. Writing Guides Web. 31 Jan  The Learning Design Collaborative Web. 31 Jan  Schmoker, Mike. Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning Print. 31 Jan