ABSTRACT
In the ongoing outcry over the literacy gap with which schools around the world continue to grapple, writing has been and continues to be neglected. Even with decades of research supporting the “reading-writing connection,” instruction still commonly divides these two academic domains, ultimately adversely affecting student learning. If students are to become independent readers, they must be able to articulate their thoughts in writing. Close writes build on the reading-writing connection to scaffold students in both domains. Following the same 10 steps for close reading, close writes provide a framework for students to re-read a short piece of text as a means to understand it at a deeper level and then use that knowledge to craft their own writing pieces. This strategy furnishes students with a concrete plan to note effective writing elements, to implement this learning into their own work, and, by consequence, to accelerate their writing achievement.
