Reciprocity of Reading and Writing

There is a reciprocal relationship between reading and writing.

In any discussion of a processing system for reading, we must remember that we are really talking about a larger literacy processing system, one that includes both reading and writing of continuous text. While reading and writing are different processes, they are complementary. Readers and writers use the same sources of information and integrate them:

• In reading – to recognize written signs (visible information) and connect them to the invisible information.
• In writing – to use invisible information in a constructive way, producing a text of visual signs that will communicate to others or to self.

The process is not even as separated as those two bulleted points make it seem. Readers often think like writers. They notice how writers use language or give attention to new words and remember them later while writing. They may take notes or extend their understanding through writing. Writers reread what they have written so they can experience it another way and often revisit texts for ideas or to notice the writer’s craft. Through instruction, we can take advantage of this reciprocity, achieving higher-quality processing in both reading and writing.

Adapted from Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking,

Talking, and Writing About Reading