ABSTRACT
Writers write for readers and are always thinking about their audience and purpose; discerning readers read like writers and apply what authors do to their own composing process. In kindergarten, the reading-writing connection is crucial for efficient and effective literacy and language growth, engagement, and enjoyment. Embedding the reading-writing connection in all literacy work pays big dividends for students becoming discerning readers and writers. Well-told stories appeal to people of all ages. Midyear in a kindergarten classroom, when students were learning about nutrition and their community, each student wrote a restaurant review that got sent to the local restaurant. Writing is an act of discovery, and we remove that opportunity for students when we require rigid formats.
