Both reading and writing allow students to practice literacy, but these activities also allow them to engage with material on a personal level. Reading and writing activities that allow students to include their own interests, such as choosing which books to read and what to write about those books, encourage students to connect with the material. Further, reading and writing tasks that have some contextual relationship to the world outside the classroom, such as reading and writing about severe weather during the winter, allow students to connect the material to the real world.
To integrate reading and writing in the classroom, teachers should set aside time to familiarize students with the task they're about to undertake. Teachers must provide background information that links the students' prior experiences to the material they are about to read or write. Encouraging students to consider what they already know about the new topic before they begin reading or writing prepares them to encounter the material. Journals wherein students record their reactions and questions while they read allow them to engage with the material. Further, teachers should encourage students not only to comprehend the facts of the reading material, but also to explore that material's greater significance via written responses and reports.
Integrating reading and writing into courses not directly related to English and literature helps students develop both their literacy and writing skills and their skills as multifaceted learners. Teachers of mathematics, history and other subjects who incorporate reading and writing into their curriculum may find it easier to recognize when students fall behind. Further, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends that math teachers incorporate writing in the curriculum, because communicating their ideas helps students solidify their understanding of mathematical concepts.
Teachers in various subjects can incorporate reading and writing into their classrooms in many ways. Art teachers might have students write captions for their work or read ad copy and emulate those ads. Music teachers might ask for written research papers on composers. Math teachers might assign story problems and journaling on a new concept or a recently completed assignment, while health and science teachers can ask students to read articles and write reports.