I-TESOL 2014
Oct 17-18
Building Bridges Between Reading and Writing for University Preparation
Erin Shaw Hernandez
erinmargaret@gmail.com
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Integrated Reading/Writing Tasks in University Settings (Grabe & Zhang, 2013)
Taking notes from a text (both at home and in class)
Summarizing text information
Paraphrasing textual resources
Combining information from multiple text sources in a synthesis task
Comparing multiple points of view from written texts and producing a critical synthesis
Answering essay exam questions in writing (both at home and in class)
Writing an extended research paper or literature review
Responding to assigned texts (summary and then critique)
Integrated Reading and Writing Class
• 2 classes, 2 teachers who meet weekly to combine efforts and goals
• Writing topics coordinated with reading themes to reinforce vocabulary
• Emphasis on summarizing, paraphrasing and synthesizing
• Introduce tests that require reading/writing integration to measure student progress
Semester Activities
Reading
• Readings in class for fluency and comprehension on Globalization, Human Rights and a literature
book. Readings outside of class for research on those topics.
• Reading teacher conferenced with students to help them find appropriate material and to make sure
they understood it.
• Students completed outlines, summaries, reading responses and paraphrases of key reading
passages
• Students had reading tests
• Students read Things Fall Apart and completed reading guides, discussion groups and other guided
activities
• Students wrote AP Language essays based on reading passages
Writing
• Write a 6-page problem solution essay on globalization, a 6-page research essay on human rights,
and a short essay analyzing literature
• Writing teacher conferenced with students to help them organize ideas from reading into an essay
• Students completed outlines, annotated bibliographies, and drafts of their essays.
• Students had synthesis paragraph tests and turned in polished and completed essays
• Students wrote practice analysis essays in class for Things Fall Apart, and wrote an analysis essay
based on a theme and reading class discussions
• Students wrote AP Language essays based on opinion and analysis
• TOEFL integrated writing tasks
Assesments
• Summaries and paraphrases written for homework in reading class were allowed to be used in
papers
• Research papers are used to show comprehension of sources through summary and synthesis
• Reading tests for isolated skill testing
• TOEFL integrated writing prompts
• AP tests (Item 1, 3)
• Synthesis Paragraphs
• Essential skills practiced and tested in multiple contexts
Reference:
Grabe, W., & Zhang, C. (2013). Reading and Writing Together: A Critical Component of English for Academic
Purposes Teaching and Learning. TESOL Journal, 9-24.