Theories of Reading and Writing Development PDF

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Running head: THEORIES OF READING

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Theories of Reading and Writing Development

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Theories of Reading and Writing Development Effective instructional practices are essential in offering student-centred learning. Instructional practices ought to keep the strengths and preferences of students in mind while at the same time, advance the engagement of students and their knowledge and understanding of new content. Reading and writing are the essential components of learning that inform teaching. The two aspects are defined by an understanding of specific theories that help guide the curriculum and instruction as well as the application of best practices. This task, therefore, looks at the major theories of reading and writing development. Components of a Research-based theory of reading development and how it relates to effective Instructional Practice Theories of reading development are often used to describe the stages through which developing readers move from their early literacy levels to more professional levels. There are many research-based theories of reading development. One such research-based theory of reading development is the Schema theory which describes a hypothetical knowledge structure within the brain where new information can be compared and processed (Du, 2016). According to the theory, existing knowledge that a reader has regarding a subject serves as the basis for storing and processing new information. This implies that past experiences, including that of objects, events and situations can be used to retrieve, organize and interpret information. Other two critical components of the schema theory are the formal and content schema. While formal schemata explain the knowledge regarding the structure of a text, content schemata recount the knowledge about the subject matter of a text. In both cases, the prior knowledge of the researcher enables one to predict events and infer meaning from a wider context. The theory can be used to offer effective instructional practice within the

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classroom setting. Teachers can always start by recalling relevant knowledge before students can begin reading. According to Huang (2016), an understanding of schema theory equips teachers with proper curriculum instructional strategies like modelling which boosts the learner’s ability to comprehend and not just to memorize. Through comprehension, they can easily retrieve similar knowledge when reading. How the theory can be used in reading instruction at grade level Schema theory is critical in effective instructional practice in that teachers can use what students already know to build on new knowledge. Taking the case of a grade 7 learner reading sentences, schema theory can be applied at the pre-reading stage. The teacher can explain words, phrases and sentence patterns and provide the context within which worlds can be applied. Once that is clear, learners can always recall the same when reading. Secondly, teachers can always highlight the structure of the material to be learned. The instructor can break down the material into coherent and clear components and using tools like a graphic organizer, relationships between concepts or information for better understanding (Farangi & Saadi, 2017). Components of a Research-based Theory of Writing development and how it relates to effective Instructional Practice The most applicable research-based theory of writing development is the cognitive process theory of writing. According to the theory, the process of writing may not be linear but rather made of steps that are always changing to reflect the changing goals of the writer. The different components of this theory are the task environment, the long-term memory of the writer and the process of writing. The task environment entails all the things that are not within the prerogative of the writer. It starts with the rhetoric problem and then the growing text. Every rhetoric problem has to be defined by the writer whose goals are guided by his/

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her understanding of the rhetorical problem. Additionally, every part of the test defines the nest step that the writer has to take. The second component is the long-term memory of the writer where the writer is expected to store the knowledge of not only the topic to write about but also the audience in mind. For the writing process, the writer is expected to plan, translate and review the writing by looking at the subject to write about, the message as well as the intended audience to make writing more meaningful (Sun, 2017). Cognitive theory of writing can be used by teachers to improve on the instruction of content. Instead of emphasizing on memorizing, this theory emphasizes on the need to build on past knowledge. Teachers help learners to build on their experiences and use a specific hierarchical order to build their writing knowledge. Teachers can also help students to group ideas and come up with new concepts during the writing process. Lastly, teachers can use the basic words to build on new sentence structures and later develop to phrases or paragraphs. How the theory can be used in reading instruction at grade level There are many ways through which the theory can form the basis for instruction specifically for grade seven learners. Since the theory is based on memory and knowledge building, grade seven learners can be encouraged to write. Teachers can often talk about writing and then share relevant articles and books which can help build their vocabulary and having a better understanding of new words (Zabihi, 2018). Additionally, teachers should encourage the learners to write more often as that builds their writing competency more.

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Du, X. (2016, January). Analysis on the EAP reading text materials based on schema theory. In 2016 2nd International Conference on Education Technology, Management and Humanities Science. Atlantis Press. Retrieved from https://www.atlantispress.com/proceedings/etmhs-16/25849218 Farangi, M. R., & Saadi, Z. K. (2017). Dynamic assessment or schema theory: The case of listening comprehension. Cogent Education, 4(1), 1312078. Retrieved from https://www.cogentoa.com/article/10.1080/2331186X.2017.1312078/figures-tables Huang, F. (2016, March). Study of college English fast reading teaching based on schema theory and pre-reading activity. In 2016 International Conference on Education, Sports, Arts and Management Engineering. Atlantis Press. Retrieved from https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/icesame-16/25850843 Sun, T. (2017, September). Collaborative English writing based on the cognitive process theory. In 2nd International Conference on Judicial, Administrative and Humanitarian Problems of State Structures and Economic Subjects (JAHP 2017). Atlantis Press. Zabihi, R. (2018). The role of cognitive and affective factors in measures of L2 writing. Written Communication, 35(1), 32-57. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0741088317735836...