While there is no direct correlation between reading and writing, there is an indirect inverse relationship. By improving one desired skill, the other will experience growth. By writing more, you will be enhancing your reading and writing skills. By reading more, you'll improve your writing skills.
A good writer must also be a good reader. Writing is inseparable from reading. Writing is the application of reading skills — particularly the ability to decode text fluently and understand what you read. And reading, in turn, requires writing skills. We fall into the habit of writing when we read far more than most realize.
The Connection Between Reading and Writing
As a child becomes more proficient at reading, their writing skills also improve. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin and rely on similar skills.
Reading is the act of decoding. It involves understanding what words mean and how they’re used in context. When you read, you decode the language on the page into ideas in your mind. In contrast, writing is the act of encoding — putting thoughts into words. As a writer, you encode your ideas onto paper so that others can read them.
Reading is important for writers because it helps them understand how words work together to convey meaning. It gives writers a better understanding of how people use language in everyday speech and writing, making them better communicators in spoken or written language. For example, if a writer understands the difference between “bought” and “brought” when they use these words correctly, they will sound more professional than someone who doesn’t know this distinction exists!
Writing Improves Reading
The act of writing can help improve reading skills. Studies have shown that the more students write, the better they read.
Writing can help students develop their own ideas and express them clearly and concisely. This is important because reading comprehension depends on understanding what you read and relating it to your own life experiences. By writing down your thoughts and ideas, you are helping to create the context for your reading.
The act of writing also helps you retain information because it requires you to think about what you're reading and how it relates to other things in your life. If you're writing notes or summarizing what you've read, you're actively trying to understand new information. This process helps solidify memories and make them easier to recall later on down the road when you're studying for an exam or need some quick facts on a project at work or school.
Reading Improves Writing
A student who is a good reader will be a good writer. Reading well is a skill that can be taught and learned. The more you read, the better you recognize words and understand what they mean. Reading also helps us write better because it helps us understand how sentences are constructed, how paragraphs are organized, how to improve reading and writing skills and how stories flow from one part to another. Reading also helps us develop vocabulary, which is one of the essential tools for writers.
The more we read, the more comfortable we become with using words in different ways and contexts. When we read, we discover new words and phrases that we can use in our own writing when appropriate. When we write, we often include new words to sound natural and well-written (not like something someone just made up!).
Reading also improves our grammar skills as well as our spelling skills. As you read a book, article, or essay, you are exposed to many examples of correct grammar usage and spelling rules that will help improve your own grammar knowledge base and help you recognize incorrect grammar usage when reading other people's work.
