One of the main focuses in classroom instruction is, rightly, literacy. Literacy forms the basis of human connection; it’s how we communicate, how we share ideas, and how we make sense of the world around us. However, writing, a key component of literacy, can be underemphasized in K-12 curriculum. Comprehensive writing instruction often takes a back seat to reading exercises, which are tested more frequently and seen as a key marker of early academic success. The Science of Reading, a movement that gained traction in the classroom and beyond in education policy, has made it clear that building strong writing skills beginning in elementary school is essential to students’ literacy development.
Reading and Writing are Two Sides of the Same Coin
The Science of Reading is interdisciplinary research into why some students excel in reading and others find learning more difficult. It is an ever-evolving concept, built from key instruction tools like phonics and fluency. However, one major insight surfaced by this research is that writing helps children learn to read, and vice versa. Reading is based on comprehending the written word; therefore, learning how to write and understanding components like text structure and expanding their vocabulary naturally makes it easier for students to improve their reading skills.
A 2020 meta-analysis found that children with reading difficulties also experience difficulties with writing. This emphasizes that the two skills are connected, and that proper instruction must consider and teach both reading and writing to ensure that students achieve their highest literacy level. When students understand concepts like grammar and sentence structure in their own writing, they are better prepared to recognize and comprehend those elements when reading new text.
Current Gaps in Writing Instruction
Despite the evidence that writing is crucial to literacy, there are still major gaps in instruction across the country. Research shows that only around a quarter of students in each grade level showed true proficiency in writing. One possible reason for this is that writing curriculum is not given the same systematic support as its reading counterpart.
For example, many elementary school classrooms limit writing practice to short sentences or simple journal prompts, rather than building dynamic skills across a wide array of exercises. Additionally, due to curriculum and time constraints, educators often can only allocate minimal time for in-depth instruction for key writing concepts like structure, grammar, and more.
Students would benefit from more opportunities to write, and varied writing practice that exposes them to a wide range of text types, topics and genres, to increase their confidence to tackle more complex reading in the future.
Some states are taking steps to bring a more systemic approach to teaching writing to the classroom. For example, Virginia’s Department of Education updated its 2024 K-12 English Standards of Learning to better embrace the Science of Learning and embed the development of foundational skills in writing into instruction across all grade levels. Nevada’s Department of Education also outlined a new State Literacy Plan designed to improve K-12 outcomes across all grades by allowing more time to focus on complex reading and writing development. In addition, Massachusetts’ Department of Education considers writing to be one of the most important pieces of literacy and provides its educators with the tools to understand why so they can encourage students to write more in the classroom. These changes reflect a greater push toward incorporating writing-based instruction in districts across the country.
Writing Builds Essential Life Skills
Incorporating writing practice early and often in education can help build skills that extend far beyond the classroom. Writing develops metacognition, the ability to think about your thinking, which helps students learn how to approach difficult problems, argue critically, and engage with complex concepts. These skills are incredibly important for today’s youth to succeed in the future work force and participate in full civic engagement.
Elementary and middle school is the perfect time to develop these skills. Once students have learned to write, it is easy to include lessons on things like tone and argumentation because they are now having to use those exact skills in classroom instruction. If those skills are taught using topics students are already interested in, educators can better engage their classes and ensure that these students are prepared to succeed tomorrow.
Recommendations for Schools
Educators and district leaders should consider adopting evidence-based literacy content and curriculum that integrates writing into reading instruction. Mystery Writing from Discovery Education is one example of a resource that sets out to build students’ confidence in their writing through explicit instruction.
Schools should also provide professional development opportunities for teachers designed to help them explicitly integrate writing instruction into their classrooms. By supporting educators, they in turn can help prioritize these skills in their students. A key concept in this would be providing more time for them to assess students’ writing ability at the same level they already devote to reading exercises. This can be accomplished by spreading out writing instruction across different subjects, allowing students to be immersed in writing concepts throughout the day and not just during English.
Looking Beyond the Classroom Literacy is one of the most important skills a person can develop. Being able to fundamentally break down and analyze media and text and stories is a must in today’s world. This relies on being able to proficiently read and write, and the development of those skills begin all the way back in elementary school. Prioritizing quality reading and writing skills in the classroom should be considered a core necessity, not just an add-on if there is extra time in the day. States and school districts that embrace this mindset will not only have students who excel beyond national standards but prepare their students to confidently meet the demands of a complex and interconnected world head on.
About the Author
Soo Kim
Soo Kim, Discovery Education’s Senior Director of Content, oversees the development of Discovery Education’s Mystery Writing solution. Mystery Writing engages students in grades K-5 with “wow!” content that captivates young learners and builds their confidence in writing. Featuring no prep, open-and-go lessons, Mystery Writing helps multi-subject elementary educators quickly and easily provide students with differentiated lessons that explicitly teach the writing process.
