Helping Students Write About Reading in Ways that Support Both Reading Comprehension and Writing Development

Dates: 11/17/2025, 1/12/2026, 3/09/2026 Grades: 6-12 Venue: Online via Zoom Time:  9:00am - 2:30pm ET (with a 45 minute break for lunch) Presenter(s): Heather Burns

Course Overview: 

This course provides guidance for ways teachers can integrate reading and writing instruction to enhance students' development in both areas simultaneously. Participants will learn effective strategies for teaching students to develop meaningful responses to reading, analyze texts deeply, and craft well-organized written pieces about their reading. Teachers will explore methods for scaffolding students' written responses to text while maintaining high expectations for both reading comprehension and writing quality – in both fiction and nonfiction.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

• Design lessons that support students in crafting various types of written responses to reading

• Implement strategies for teaching analytical writing skills across text types

• Create opportunities for students to develop their voices as readers and writers

• Develop tools for scaffolding written responses while maintaining rigor

• Apply methods for helping students make meaningful connections between reading and writing development

Upon completion of the course participants will receive a certificate of participation; and NY State educators are eligible to receive CTLE credits.

If your school or district is interested in arranging for a group of 15 or more to attend one course (or more) together please contact us at advancingliteracy@tc.columbia.edu. For a full listing of all Focused Topic Courses see our Professional Development Services Brochure.