Using Writing To Promote Good Reading & Understanding:
Tools, Understandings, and Techniques For Teachers
(Paragraph Basics)

Featuring Learning Facilitators

Carolyn J. Carter, Ed. D.
Eastern Michigan University

Raahul Reddy, M. Ed.
Washtenaw/Oakland Community Colleges

Description: Typically, reading instruction designed to promote comprehension ignores the critical connection between writing and reading paragraphs, yet awareness of text and sensitivity to its structure promotes meaning construction and, therefore, reading and writing competence. Teachers can help students understand reading and writing--simultaneously--as they explore learning and complete learning activities. This session reviews the essential elements of the paragraph and its critical sub-parts and provides a fool proof instructional strategy that strengthens students' ability to write paragraphs and facilitates their competence in constructing meaning when reading. More than these, though, this session will emphasize and demonstrate the importance of reading and writing instruction as a whole school strategy to earn Adequate Yearly Progress in English Language Arts in accordance with current Michigan Meap requirements.