Teaching the Reading and Writing Processes

In our class reading of Tompkins Chapter 2 there is a discussion of the reading and writing processes in a balanced literacy program. My group came up with some working definitions of the key points to these ideas. The following two terms I will discuss are both inter-related and work with each other. Reading, we decided can be considered as an extension to writing development and comprehension. Comprehension happens when reading and writing come together to form meaning. These two ideas were most helpful for me in planning my lesson. The best example of this application is in my lesson plan objectives. My knowledge objective states that each student will describe and discuss the qualities of a good friend and the consequences of lying. My capacity objective states that each student will apply his or her prior experiences to the text and journal about a situation involving friendship. The journals in turn showed me if they were connecting with the lesson. When the students could write an entry that related to our book we read, that showed me that they were comprehending the reading and meeting my objectives.