Would we dare separate Romeo and Juliet? Macaroni and cheese? Music and dance? Reading and writing make up another duo, but one which is often separated when teaching French. This makes it more difficult for students to comprehend texts, as they do not have a grasp of the author’s writing process. Conversely, when they write, they do not tend to put themselves in the reader’s shoes.
Reading and writing make up a duo which is often separated when teaching French.
This research therefore developed an approach that links the reading and writing of informative texts in order to make students aware of the knowledge common to both these activities. With the collaboration of teachers, educational advisors and librarians, sequences of activities focusing on the link between reading and writing sentences, paragraphs and texts were tested for two years in 12 classes from Grades 4 to 6.
These sequences developed students’ knowledge about the characteristics and structures of informative texts, which proved beneficial in reading and writing and allowed them to improve more than other students who had not received this instruction.
In addition, the teachers involved in this project reported that they developed better reading and writing teaching skills and an improved understanding of the characteristics of the informative texts used in all school subjects. This professional development experience, which combined training on specific reading and writing topics with classroom support from researchers and educational advisors, enhanced their knowledge and teaching practices.
Main researcher
Catherine Turcotte, Université du Québec à Montréal
Deposit of the research report: September 2019