Good Readers Become Good Writers

What does it take to become a good writer?

There are, at first, the basics of grammar: nouns, verbs, sentences, tenses, etc. But eventually, the process of writing becomes more complicated. It becomes a matter of style. And not style in the sense of being beautiful, but in terms of sophisticated craftsmanship: concrete and vivid descriptions, figurative language, and effective rhetoric. Can you form a picture in your mind from the written words? Is the argument convincing? These elements of style are what distinguish good writing from the merely grammatically correct. No one becomes a good writer by talent alone. They start first by becoming good readers.

How do you become a good, critical reader? The first thing is to become an avid reader, period. This starts in elementary school. However, while it is tempting to encourage any reading, it is

crucial to the development of critical reading skills that young students be introduced to quality non-fiction books as soon as possible. This is not to say that a good fiction doesn’t have its place in a child’s reading repertoire, but it does not typically have all of the characteristics necessary to develop practical writing skills useful later in life. So while their favorite fantasy or adventure novel series may contain some excellent descriptive passages, it is unlikely that these books will exhibit any sophisticated rhetoric or complex argumentation. The good news is that quality non-fiction for students of all ages is more widely available now than ever before. This is especially important because of the different interests of each student, boys and girls.

When we look at a house, we might say, “This house is beautiful.” We might even list a few features that we find particularly pleasing. But an architect would want to look closer, to see how the house was constructed, what materials and techniques were necessary for achieving those features. A good, critical reader is like the architect, trying to understand how a written work is constructed. The effect of this kind of engagement is apparent, even in assignments as basic as book reports. Un-critical readers merely summarize the content of what they have read. But critical readers can explain how and why the book achieves its goals. So, becoming a critical reader will make your child a better writer.

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