Currents in Literacy

Written Response: A Bridge Connecting Reading to Writing

By Elaine M. Bukowiecki

Introduction

Shelly Harwayne (1992), in the opening chapter of her book Lasting Impressions, writes about the strong and imperative connection between reading and writing:

We do it in September, and we're still doing it in June. We line the walls of our writing workshops with the finest in children's literature. It's as if we've taken lessons from Quintilian, a wild animal preserve. Workers there know that if you want to attract hippopotami, you prepare mud-holes. Teachers, too, know if you want to attract children to the joys of writing workshop, you must prepare fertile ground and do what the experts suggest - bathe, soak, drench your students in good literature. (p.1)

In this article about written response to literature, I will share the joy found on a bridge connecting authors -- authors the students are reading, and authors the students are becoming. Authentic children's literature sources are rich with vivid images and language; strong, delightful, comical, tragic, realistic, and thoughtful characters; and exciting, mysterious, funny, suspenseful, true-to-life, and thrilling plots. It seems so natural that students should respond to the literature they are reading through various modes of writing. Certainly the effective use of dialogue journals has been investigated by many writers as one approach to responding to literature (Calkins, Graves, Harwayne). This article looks beyond journal writing and includes suggestions for teachers (Grades 1-6) to help their students respond to specific children's literature works through the modes of persuasive, expository, narrative, and letter writing.

Persuasive Writing

In her book Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product, Gail Tompkins (1994) writes: "To persuade is to win someone over to your viewpoint or cause. Persuasion involves a reasoned or logical appeal in contrast to propaganda which has a more sinister connotation" (p. 306). Persuasive writing is an appropriate form for children to practice because the topic and the audience are inherently made clear. The topic is a subject or an event which the writer has a passionate feeling or concern about. The audience is the person or persons whom the writer wants to persuade. The mode of argumentation may pose difficulties that have little to do with writing. Persuasion requires the writer to know how to structure an argument according to his/her audience. For example, the choice of words a child would use to persuade a friend would probably not be used to persuade a parent regarding the same issue.

Persuasive writing can take many forms. It can be an editorial in a newspaper or magazine expressing a certain point of view regarding a specific topic. It can be a letter to the editor, a parent, a teacher, or a friend concerning a particular issue. It can take an oral format as a debate or a discussion. The subject can be one of personal and emotional importance to the writer. The writer can also use his/her strong feelings to respond to a particular character's action or plot incident from a children's literature source.

Before students can use the persuasive mode of writing as a response to literature, it is necessary that they have the opportunity to read, discuss, and respond to persuasive writing found in newspapers and magazines. These persuasive pieces can come from newspapers such as The Boston Globe or USA Today and from magazines such as Time or Newsweek. These forms of persuasion can consist of letters to the editor, editorial cartoons, and editorials. After selecting an article or letter to respond to, the students can begin to analyze the persuasive writing by creating a chart on which they list statements of fact on the left and statements of opinion on the right. At this point, types of words and phrases which evoke an emotion or reveal an opinion should be discussed. Also, phrases which will lead to a statement of fact should be pointed out and practiced.

Students can also use a chart such as the one mentioned above to organize their thoughts before beginning a persuasive response to a literature source. Types of children's literature which lend themselves best to persuasive writing are historical fiction which describe specific issues and events from history; books containing controversial topics such as stealing (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Dahl, 1970; The Trumpet of the Swan, White, 1961), the circle/cycle of life (Tuck Everlasting, Babbitt, 1975; Charlotte's Web, White, 1952), a futuristic, utopian society (The Giver, Lowry, 1993); and picture books with controversial topics and strong characters (The Wall, Bunting, 1990; Hiroshima No Pika, Maruki, 1980; and Nettie's Trip South, Turner, 1987). Figure 1 contains a short list of children's literature with persuasive writing responses.

Expository Writing

Nine-year old Debbie explained to me: "When my teacher tol us to write a report, I got goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach and everything. I knew this time would come because all the kids write real reports in fourth grade, but when it was here, I didn't know what to do. I was so scared. On Saturday, I went to the library like my sister used to do, and I got the encyclopedia and put down the facts: people, places, dates, Indians, wars. Then I wrote it up." (p. 431)

Students use expository writing to share information with readers. The information might be a description of a favorite vacation; the steps one needs to follow in riding a bicycle for the first time; the problems involved in cleaning up one's neighborhood; or a comparison of Paul Revere's and Jack Joulett's Revolutionary War Rides. Expository writing can also be used to respond to literature when students research the setting of a book such as the Holocaust in Lois Lowry's (1989) Number the Stars; compare book and film versions of a novel such as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien, 1971); or investigate a topic related to a story, perhaps owls after reading Owl Moon (Yolen, 1987). Students can also use the style of expository writing found in the newspaper such as news reports and advertisements to respond to a particular topic, event, or character from children's literature.

To help organize the information which the student knows about a particular topic, the teacher can model with the students different ways to organize their facts and questions which they would like to investigate. Once the student has answered his/her questions and has gathered information from expository texts -- such as newspapers, magazines, or fiction or historical fiction books -- the student should examine all this information in order to decide which of this information should be part of his/her expository piece and which should be left out. Figure 2 gives examples of certain expository writing topics.

Letter Writing

Gayle Tompkins (1994) presents this postcard text from a third grader to illustrate the manner in which students can employ letter and postcard writing as a means of response to literature:

Dear Mom and Dad,

This book is called Iktomi and the Berries. It's a terrific book. It is about a man who goes hunting and can't see anything so he sees some berries and makes a lot of mistakes. I think you would like this book.

Love, Brian (p. 132).

People write postcards and other types of letters for genuine, communicative purposes. Thus, students can write letters to get someone's attention, to sustain friendships, to share information, to persuade, and to recount events. Other purposes for letter writing include asking questions, asking permission, apologizing, reminding, and requesting information.

Letter writing is a wonderful format for students to respond to books which they have been reading. It's important for the students to be introduced to the correct form for writing friendly and business letters and to practice this form in response to children's literature (fiction and historical fiction). Examples of letter responses to literature include a friendly letter to a character as a reaction to a specific occurrence in the book, a letter of advice to a character, an opinion letter to a character, a letter written in the voice of one character to another character, a business letter to an author describing one's opinion of the author's writing in general or stating an opinion of a specific book or character. Figure 3 points out letter responses to specific children's literature.

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is part of the imaginative mode which includes stories, songs, and plays. When writing fiction, the writer invents a world of his/her own and takes the reader into it. The writer creates an imaginary world by weaving stories he/she has heard with generous doses of his/her own imagination.

When teaching narrative writing in the classroom, the teacher can focus the students' attention on elements of what makes a story a "good story." The teacher and students may want to practice using a story map which contains specific story grammar components such as setting, characters, problem, plot, and resolution. In this way, the students should be able to see how various story parts fit together in a logical, understandable way.

The students can also explore different types of settings; brainstorm characterization and various types of characters (villain, hero, etc.); discuss different problems which characters could have; describe varied ways characters solve problems; brainstorm and explore several means of describing characters, setting, and plot; experiment with different story openings and endings; and practice with dialogue writing.

Narrative writing can take many forms in response to a book. For example, students can write a new ending to a book, write a new adventure for a character, write an event from the book from a different character's point of view, write a narrative for a wordless picture book such as Wiesner's (1991) Tuesday, write about a personal adventure with a character, write a poem about a character or event from the book, write a story about characters from two or more different books, or write a memoir that one of the characters may have. Figure 4 offers examples of narrative writing exercises for specific children's literature sources.

Conclusion

The connection between reading and writing is strong and wonderful. By reading, a writer will gain new, varied, and interesting background knowledge to bring to his/her own writing. By writing, a reader will be able to respond to the vast world of exciting children's literature. As William Faulkner said so many years ago,"Read, Read, Read. Read everything and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master - Read! You'll absorb it. Then write." (As cited in Noyce & Christie, 1989, p. 97)

Figure 1

Examples of Persuasive Writing Responses to Fiction

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Opinion Paper: Should Mr. Fox steal from the farmers?

2. Trumpet of the Swan: Newspaper Editorial: Should Louis' father have stolen the trumpet?

3. Lyddie: Opinion Paper: Conditions in the factory in Lowell.

4. A Lion to Guard Us; Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth; Prairie Songs; Sarah, Plain and Tall; Lyddie: Opinion Paper: Write about the attributes which a character/person needed to survive during these particular periods in history.

5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Persuasive Letter: Telling Peter not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden again.

6. Uncle Jed's Barbershop: Editorial: White patients being taken care of in the hospital before black patients.

Figure 2

Examples of Expository Writing Responses to Fiction

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Newspaper Report describing the scene at the hill.

2. Pigs Might Fly: Newspaper Account of the Race.

3. Sing Down the Moon: Newspaper Account of the Navajos' life at the fort.

4. Tuck Everlasting: Newspaper Report describing the kidnapping of Winnie.

5. Number the Stars: Research the help the Swedish people gave the Jewish people during World War II.

6. An Extraordinary Egg: Write a factual report concerning chickens and alligators.

Figure 3

Examples of Letter Writing As Response to Children's Literature:

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Letter to Mr. Fox telling him a new plan to stop the farmers.

2. Across Five Aprils: Letters to the characters who are at war written in the voice of the characters who are at home.

3. Park's Quest: A letter to Park regarding his discoveries of the new information about his father and his family.

4. The Upstairs Room: A letter to the Christian family who hid Annie and Sini.

5. After the Dancing Days: A letter to Annie's mother concerning the feelings she has toward the wounded World War I soldiers at the hospital.

6. Thunder at Gettysburg: A letter to Tillie Pierce concerning her brave participation in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Figure 4

Examples of Narrative Writing Exercises For Suggested Books

1. Pigs Might Fly and Charlotte's Web: Adventure story between Daggie and Wilbur.

2. Sarah, Plain and Tall: Descriptive story of Sarah's Wedding.

3. Sing Down the Moon: Write an ending to the book in the style of Scott O'Dell.

4. A Lion to Guard Us, Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth, Prairie Songs, and Sarah, Plain and Tall: Write a descriptive story about how Constance, Amanda, Emmeline and Sarah were building a new life in a new world and a new land.

5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Write a new adventure for Peter.

6. An Extraordinary Egg: Write a story about Jessica going to visit "Chicken" and her mother.

Professional References

Calkins, L. M. (1991). Living Between the Lines. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Calkins, L. M. (1994). The Art of Teaching Writing (2nd Edition). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Graves, D. H. (1994). A Fresh Look at Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Harwayne, S. (1992). Lasting Impressions. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Noyce, R. M., & Christie, J. F. (1989). Integrating Reading and Writing Instruction in Grades K-8. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Tompkins, G. E. (1993). Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product (2nd Edtion). New York: Macmillan College Publishing Company.

Children's Literature Cited in This Article

Babbitt, N. (1975). Tuck Everlasting. New York: Sunburst Books.

Bulla, C. R. (1989). A Lion to Guard Us. New York: HarperTrophy.

Bunting, E. (1990). The Wall. New York: Clarion Books.

Clapp, P. (1968). Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth. New York: Beech Tree Books.

Conrad, P. (1985). Prairie Songs. New York: HarperTrophy.

Dahl, R. (1970). Fantastic Mr. Fox. New York: Puffin Books.

Hunt, I. (1964). Across Five Aprils. New York: Berkley Books.

King-Smith, D. (1980). Pigs Might Fly. New York: Scholastic.

Lowry, L. (1989). Number the Stars. New York: Yearling Book.

Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: Hougton Mifflin Co.

MacLachlan, P. (1985). Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Maruki, T. (1980). Hiroshima No Pika. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

O'Brien, R. C. (1971). Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. New York: Aladdin Books.

O'Dell, S. (1970). Sing Down the Moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Paterson, K. (1988). Park's Quest. New York: Puffin Books.

Paterson, K. (1991). Lyddie. New York: Lodestar Books.

Potter, B. (1989) The Tale of Peter Rabbit. New York: Viking Penguin, Inc.

Reiss, J. (1972). The Upstairs Room. New York: HarperTrophy.

Rostkowski, M. L. (1986). After the Dancing Days. New York: HarperTrophy.

Turner, A. (1987). Nettie's Trip South. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion Books.

White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte's Web. New York: Scholastic.

White, E. B. (1961). The Trumpet of the Swan. New York: Harper Trophy Books.

This article is based upon various experiences in several elementary school classrooms in Massachusetts and Connecticut and is also based upon a literature search completed for presentations for annual conferences for the Massachusetts Reading Association and the New England Reading Association.

Elaine Bukowiecki is an Assistant Professor at Lesley University and has taught classes on literacy there for eight years. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation.