Episode 176: Why Schools Undervalue Writing And How Parents Can Help

Writing is the most overlooked literacy tool in K-12 education, and it might be the fastest way to help your child become a stronger reader. In this episode, I’m unpacking why writing instruction matters so much, especially for families navigating public school systems where priorities often follow testing and time constraints. If your child can read the words but struggles to explain what they mean, writing may be the bridge that finally makes comprehension click.

I dig into the research behind the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing. Writing forces kids to slow down, think critically, and make meaning through predictions, inferences, and conclusions. It also reinforces the core components of literacy development, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension, while helping students turn oral language into clear written communication. Writing is not just for English class; it belongs in science, social studies, and math because every subject requires students to organize ideas and convey information.

I also discuss why so many students enjoy writing less over time and why daily writing habits are fading, and then explore practical ways to rebuild motivation. You’ll hear how song lyrics can become a surprisingly effective gateway into reading and writing, plus simple at-home strategies like setting up a small writing center with inviting supplies, giving your child a personal journal, creating projects tied to their lived experiences, and displaying their work to grow confidence.

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Transcript

Writing Helps Children Read Better

Why Writing Matters In Life

Why Schools Often Underteach Writing

Motivation Data And The Lyrics Angle

At-Home Writing Center Action Steps

Key Takeaways On Literacy

Share Your Thoughts And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Welcome to another episode of K-12 Public Education Insights, Empowering Parents of Color Podcast. The podcast that converges at the intersection of educational research and parental actions. It's about making the trends, topics, and theories in public education understandable so that you can implement them into practical, actionable strategies that work for your children. My name is Dr. Kim J. Fields, former corporate manager, turned education researcher and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast. I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids who were in the public school system. I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system. Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress. This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take. It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of motherwit wisdom on top. If you're looking to find out more about the current information and issues in education that could affect you or your children, and the action steps you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then you're in the right place. Thanks for tuning in today. I know that staying informed about K-12 public education trends and topics is important to you, so keep listening. Give me 30 minutes or less, and I'll provide insights on the latest trends, issues, and topics pertaining to this constantly evolving K-12 public education environment. You know, a lot of times when the conversation centers on literacy, the biggest focus seems to be on reading and comprehension. But writing is also a critical literacy tool. Writing is the key part of the literacy conversation because writing helps grow readers. If you think of literacy as a house that's full of complexities and interconnected systems, literacy holds the foundation that should be built across all subject areas in school. In this episode, I discuss the need for quality writing instruction in schools and why writing seems to be an often forgotten skill. I wrap up the discussion by suggesting ways that you can encourage your children to build their writing skills at home. Let's gain some insight on this. Writing and reading are reciprocal processes. Reading helps develop writers, and writing helps develop readers. Writing also supports reading by allowing the reader to share his or her thoughts about what he or she read. It requires that the reader think critically about the text, to make inferences, draw conclusions, or make predictions. Writing provides the reader with an opportunity to utilize their newly learned vocabulary in an authentic manner. Writing is an excellent time for students to reflect on their learning and to demonstrate understanding of what they have read. It's not until reading content that good writing can take place. Successful writers have a talent for word usage, spelling, syntax, and expressive writing of ideas. The five components of reading instruction are reinforced through writing. These include phonics, how sounds are put together to make words, which is also known as phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. The biggest impact on literacy can be made teaching reading and writing simultaneously. Essentially, reading and writing are two different avenues that help students learn the same items and processes. Reading is about getting information, and writing is about conveying information. Students who spend a great deal of time reading have shown gains in writing achievement, and students who write extensively demonstrate improved reading comprehension. In other words, writing can be a vehicle for improving reading. When students write about texts that they are reading, writing enhances how well they comprehend it. There's a strong connection between early reading and early writing behaviors. Writing requires students to slow down and pay attention to items in detail, such as noting particular letters and sounds and the sequence of syllables, and it provides a link to what a child is saying orally to the written message. Knowing an item in detail when writing is one step closer to knowing an item automatically when reading. Students learn that they can recognize words and text when those words are the ones they have learned through writing. Writing is a mode of illustrating thinking. It mirrors what happens in the thinking process. The four main language domains are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Reading and writing have a reciprocal relationship with each other. Research indicates that writing can boost a student's growth in reading. When teachers can capitalize on the power of writing to increase reading achievement, the student benefits immensely. Why is writing such a critical skill for literacy? If you think about it, writing is a form of expression that's prevalent in all areas of daily life and society. However, in educational settings, writing-related assignments are typically left solely to the literacy educators and literacy specialists. Interestingly, English language arts and mathematics are often characterized as difficult subjects. Students may get labeled as a reading or writing person or a math person based upon performance and preference for either subject. The truth of the matter is that both of these are core subjects that are foundational and necessary for students to succeed. Writing literacy should span across all subject areas and should not be limited to a single classroom experience. Writing is often taught to students as a necessary skill to communicate, but sometimes students don't understand the purpose of writing assignments and the skills that are presented to them within their classroom. Writing for students in primary grades involves teaching skills to build symbols, scribbles, and drawings into letters and words, and then transforming those words into meaning and phrases. In this learning process, students gain the tools they need to be confident in expressing, creating, or writing informatively. And depending on how students are nurtured and taught, their confidence can become shaken and writing becomes a sore spot in their educational journey. Just as it takes practice and multiple interactions with skills learned in other core subjects like math or science, writing is not a subject that should be cultivated every once in a while. It should be seamlessly integrated across subject areas. Unfortunately, writing instruction in most classrooms is insufficient. One reason for this is that a majority of teachers don't devote enough time to writing because even though it is a foundational skill, writing is not usually classified as a course subject like math, science, and social studies. Course subjects are evaluated yearly using standardized tests in this nation, and in many states, promotion requirements are met through these tests. Writing is occasionally evaluated using these types of tests, but most are given every few years. The bottom line is writing skills should not be taught in isolation. Results from the annual literacy survey in 2023 found that only two in five children and young people aged 8 to 18 enjoyed reading in their free time, and only one in three enjoyed writing in their free time. However, children and young people are frequently exposed to song lyrics, from the music they listen to, the songs sung in school assemblies or places of worship to streaming platforms. Song lyrics may be a valuable tool for learning various literacy skills, from listening to reading and writing. For example, engaging with lyrics supports comprehension and memory skills as well as vocabulary skills, that is, as long as the songs promote healthy perspectives. Song lyrics may provide a valuable gateway into literacy for many children and young people. Lyrics seem to be a popular reading format, even for those who did not enjoy reading, according to this 2023 survey. In 2025, writing enjoyment fell to its lowest level in 15 years, while boys and older children remained the least engaged in writing activities. The sharpest declines occurred among primary age children and girls, groups who have traditionally shown the strongest interest in writing. Also, writing enjoyment remained higher among a group of students assumed to be less engaged, those students who were eligible for free school lunches. Daily writing habits have declined along with enjoyment, and just one in ten children and young people now write something in their free time each day. Children who enjoy writing are five times more likely to write daily compared to those who don't enjoy writing, and this highlights the link between motivation and habits. Children and young people are drawn to writing for several reasons, with creativity, self-expression, and curiosity being the main motivators. This is especially true for students who enjoy writing, but for even less engaged students, practical or reflective reasons are why they commit to writing. Social motivations, such as writing to connect with others or to express opinions, remain rare across all groups of students. Yet, writing serves as a meaningful outlet for creativity, emotional expression, and personal growth. Here are the action steps you can take regarding writing as a critical literacy skill. Writing is a critical literacy skill as much as reading is. So to encourage your children to write, create a writing center in your home, which could basically end up being a corner with a small table and chair in it. This serves as an attractive area for a reluctant reader as well. Using writing lures in the writing center includes the use of gel pens, sheet protectors, highlighters, colored pencils, colored paper, sticky notes, and art. These lures work so that your child creates in the writing center, and what your child creates in the writing center could be displayed on a bulletin board or on the refrigerator. The expectation behind this writing center is that when we read, we write. Encourage your children to make a daily practice of writing because writing fulfills a range of purposes beyond the classroom, such as self-expression, mental well-being, intellectual development, and social connection. A simple way to encourage them to write is to give them a personal journal. You could also create writing projects that tap into their lived experiences and perspectives. These are just a couple of ways that you could provide the environment and the opportunity for your children to practice writing, whether it's creative writing, factual writing, or narrative and summative writing. Be sure to display your child's writing projects. This helps build their confidence and encourages them to keep writing. Try it out. Here are this episode's takeaways. Writing and reading are reciprocal processes. Reading helps develop writers, and writing helps develop readers. It requires that the reader think critically about the text to make inferences, draw conclusions, or make predictions. Writing provides the reader with an opportunity to utilize their newly learned vocabulary in an authentic manner. The four main language domains are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Reading and writing have a reciprocal relationship with each other. Research indicates that writing can boost a student's growth in reading. When teachers can capitalize on the power of writing to increase reading achievement, the student benefits immensely. Writing literacy should span across all subject areas in schools and should not be limited to a single classroom experience. Now it's my turn to hear from you. What are your thoughts on writing as a critical literacy skill? Voice your input, your concerns, your thoughts by leaving a text comment on my podcast website, K12Education Insights.busRoute.com. Here's how you can leave that text comment. Go to the episode description page and click on the Send Me a Text Message. Again, it's K12Education Insights.busRoute.com. If you enjoyed this episode, why not listen to another episode from my catalog? It can take as little as 15 minutes of your day. And remember, new episodes come out every Tuesday. I wanted to give a shout out at this point to Merritt and Cammy, who have provided not only financial support, but encouragement to keep going on my podcast. Thanks, Merritt and Cammy. Thanks for tuning in today. Be sure to come back for more insights on K-12 educational topics that impact you and your children. And remember to share my podcast with anyone that you think you find valuable that includes your friends, family, and your community. Until next time, learn something new every day.