Writers construct meaning when they compose texts, and readers construct meaning when they understand and interpret texts. Building meaning through reading entails organizing, selecting, and connecting. Readers use previously acquired knowledge to operate on textual clues, organizing mental representations that include material they select from…

Demonstrates the complex social nature of literacy by examining research on the influence of social interactions on reading and writing development. Illustrates these findings with examples from the environment and activities of a kindergarten classroom. (MM)

Notes that varying the conceptual models of the relationship between reading and writing processes, as parallel, interactive, or transactional, has influenced instructional practices. (JC)

Noting that conceptions of the cognitive representations and processes involved in discourse comprehension and production recently have undergone an important shift in orientation, this paper points out the importance of the shift to the conception of the nature of texts, of text understanding, and of cognitive processes in knowledge creation and…

Although writing and reading instruction can be integrated regardless of the reading program materials used, teachers need a greater understanding of the similarities and differences in reading and writing processes, as well as knowledge of ways in which instruction can be merged, before integration can take place. Both reading and writing are…

Reflecting recent insights on the process of learning to read and its relationship to oral language development and writing, the articles in this book provide a range of perspectives, ideas for further empirical investigations in classrooms, extensive reference lists for further reading, and implications for practice throughout a child's…