Reading and Writing: How SRSD Writing Strategies Improve Reading Outcomes
The evidence is clear:
SRSD’s writing instruction doesn’t just build better writers; it builds stronger readers. When schools integrate reading and writing through SRSD’s evidence-based framework, students see measurable gains in reading comprehension skills and written expression.
“Writing more makes students better readers. Reading more makes students better writers. Teaching them together multiplies the benefits.”
Adapted from Dr. Steve Graham
Why Reading and Writing Work Together
Reading and writing share the same mental “engine.” Both require students to understand language, organize ideas, and monitor their thinking. When instruction connects the two, the results are powerful. SRSD offers one unified framework where writing instruction reinforces reading comprehension strategies and reading fuels writing growth.
Across multiple meta-analyses led by Dr. Steve Graham and colleagues, classrooms using integrated reading/writing instruction showed statistically significant gains in both areas. Districts implementing SRSD have reported up to two grade-level improvements in writing and notable increases in reading comprehension scores.
Download the research summary: SRSD and Reading Comprehension Skills
Evidence
SRSD Writing Instruction Builds Stronger Readers
When students write often and with purpose, reading comprehension skills grow. Writing helps students process what they read, make inferences, and retain information.
Research shows:
- Simply writing more often improves reading comprehension by 0.35*. A solid, meaningful effect for classroom instruction.
- Writing about reading (summarizing, analyzing, or responding to texts) boosts comprehension by 0.37 on standardized tests and 0.50 on classroom assessments.
- Teaching the writing process and text structures enhances reading comprehension by 0.20–0.27.
- Instruction in sentence construction and spelling further strengthens reading gains, reaching effects up to 0.66.
SRSD’s explicit strategies like POWre, TREE, and TIDE make thinking visible, helping students connect ideas, analyze structure, and evaluate meaning as they read.
Note: Effect sizes reflect meta-analytic averages; results vary by grade, context, and implementation fidelity.
*Read more about “effect size” below.
How Reading Comprehension Strategies Build Stronger Writers
The relationship goes both ways. Reading comprehension strategies improve students’ writing skills because they provide the mental models that students draw from when they compose. As students read more, they internalize vocabulary, syntax, and text organization—improving fluency and quality in writing.
Research confirms:
- Greater reading exposure improves writing quality by 0.24.
- Analyzing how authors structure texts raises writing quality by 0.43 – 0.62.
- Reading comprehension instruction directly improves writing quality by 0.66.
- Teaching phonological awareness and phonics benefits both spelling and composition.
SRSD capitalizes on this reciprocity by embedding reading comprehension strategies (e.g., summarizing, main idea, text-structure analysis) into writing strategy instruction. Students learn to read like writers and write like readers.
Watch: What Works Clearinghouse recommendations on reading and writing (featuring Dr. Steve Graham)
SRSD’s Integrated Approach Improves Content Learning
SRSD extends far beyond ELA. Teaching students to plan, organize, and reflect strengthens comprehension and learning across subjects.
When students write in science, social studies, and math,
the benefits multiply:
Science: Writing about experiments improves understanding (0.31).
Social Studies: Writing about historical or civic issues
enhances learning (0.31).
Math: Writing about problem-solving steps improves conceptual grasp (0.30).
These cross-disciplinary effects make SRSD a powerful tool for schools focused on integrated literacy and content learning.
Learn more about SRSD’s integrated approach to teaching reading and writing.
Watch: Dr. Karen Harris Shares a Powerful Reading/Writing Case Study
“Writing, reading, and learning are deeply interconnected. Writing more makes students stronger readers. Reading more makes students stronger writers.”
The Research on Integrated Reading and Writing Instruction
SRSD’s framework is grounded in a deep body of evidence showing that reading and writing develop best together. Across 200+ studies, SRSD and related interventions consistently improve comprehension and written expression.
Key studies include:
- Graham & Hebert (2011) — Writing to Read: A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Writing on Reading
- Graham et al. (2018) — Balancing Reading and Writing Instruction
- Graham et al. (2023) — Meta-Analysis of Writing Treatments for Grades 6–12
- Collins et al. (2024) — Evaluating the Effectiveness of Writing Interventions for K–5 Students
Together, these findings show that SRSD’s six-stage model promotes reading comprehension skills, vocabulary growth, decoding, and overall literacy achievement.
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*A Quick Note About Effect Sizes
In educational research, you’ll often see numbers like 0.30 or 0.50 listed as effect sizes. Think of an effect size as a measure of impact: how big a difference a practice makes for students.
- Around 0.20 = a small but real effect (worth paying attention to)
- Around 0.50 = a moderate effect (a solid improvement)
- 0.80 or higher = a large effect (a big boost for students)
So, when you see these number, remember they show how powerful the connections between reading and writing can be.
