Middle school reading and writing instruction

Middle School

Encouraging Reading and Writing in Middle School Students

There are few skills that are more important in terms of pure academics and in their applicability to later life skills and professional advancement than the basics of reading and writing. It is primarily through the act of reading that information is obtained, and even though much of this information is now obtained in tiny snippets retrieved from the Internet the ability to read larger texts in an equally engaged and in-depth manner is vital to the development of intelligence and critical thinking skills. The converse of this shows the importance of writing -- the most effective way to transmit information to others is through writing, when the primary means of obtaining information is through reading. Writing also helps to develop critical thinking skills, requiring individuals to clearly and efficiently lay out their thoughts in a concrete manner that others can understand. It is through the skills of reading and writing, then, that all other knowledge in academia and in the professional world is accurately and comprehensively compiled, made intelligible, transmitted, and learned.

Though these two skills are essential even from the very beginnings of learning, yet it is during the middle school years when critical thinking skills truly develop that reading and writing need to be especially encouraged. If proper skills and even an enjoyment of reading and writing are created during his period, students will be well equipped for success not only in the rest of their schooling but also in the rest of their lives. If reading and writing are not appropriately encouraged and skills go unlearned during the middle school years, it becomes increasingly difficult for these skills to be acquired and fully developed.

There are many different ways in which middle school students can be encouraged in their reading and their writing. Many activities have been designed for middle school students that demonstrate the complimentary nature of reading and writing skills, and the processes of critical thinking and the organizing of information that must occur for both activities -- and which is supported by the practice of these activities -- are enhanced by such activities. In addition, these methods are meant to make reading and writing more extrinsically attractive as well as intrinsically beneficial, making them activities that are truly enjoyed by students even for superficial reasons in order to encourage them to practice these activities. Through such specific activities designed to encourage engaging in reading and writing, middle school students can be drawn to these skill areas and develop critical thinking skills and reading and writing abilities that are valuable in and of themselves.

One of the methods that has been suggested for improving interest in reading amongst middle school students is the diagramming of two different short stories or novels, dissecting the different arts of the plot and the methods of progression in both of the stories (Education.com 2010). By demonstrating the underlying mechanisms of literature, students can better understand the progression of both individual storylines as well as of the reader's interest, making a clear and concrete connection between the organization of information and its impact on the reader (Eductaion.com 2010). The desire to increase this understanding, it is hoped, will give yet another reason to engage in reading (Education.com 2010).

When it comes to writing, one of the most effective ways to encourage greater engagement and enjoyment in writing during the middle school years -- which are formative not only in terms of cognitive ability, but also in personality and in students' individual senses of self -- is to help students develop their own voice in writing (Steele 2007). Helping students find ways to communicate in a unique style yet retaining clarity, just as people do with speech, can make writing more personal and thus more intrinsically valuable to the student, while helping them see how their own voice can clearly communicate ideas and information ads external reasons for learning how to use one's own persuasive voice (Steele 2007). There are many different activities that can be used to help students develop their own voice in writing, but essentially this voice emerges through practice, and thus the most effective way to help students develop their own writing voice is to ensure that they receive plenty of practice writing in a variety of areas and on a variety of subjects.