Abstract
The author of this research noticed that the scope and sequence of our first grade curricular materials have improved in terms of teaching students to decode. She was concerned, however, that comprehension is lagging. Children who decode but fail to comprehend are at risk of failure in school, and eventually, in the workplace. The primary research question was as follows: Will students’ reading comprehension increase if they write during reading instruction? The hypothesis stated that there would be an improvement because students would benefit from the direct connection between reading and writing. Sources of Data Information was obtained from three types of sources. Initially, author conducted a review of the current literature relating to reading comprehension and writing. Such research consisted of ERIC, Wilson, the internet, books, and educational journals. Secondly, the author collected and reviewed data obtained during the treatment phase. Finally, the author conducted discussions with staff members, colleagues, and advisors. Conclusions Reached Based on the data collected from the study, when two first grade classrooms seemed evenly matched, writing, related to five specific comprehension strategies, during reading instruction seemed to help students in the treatment class to make better gains in reading comprehension. The author attributed the improved growth in comprehension by the treatment class to the connection between reading and writing and improved engagement by the children. Students in the treatment class were holistically engaged as they wrote their responses. Afterwards, they were more interested in the ensuing discussion as they compared responses.