Write to Read: Investigating the Reading-Writing Relationship of Code-Level Early Literacy Skills

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the code-related features used in current methods of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms transfer reading outcomes for kindergarten students. We randomly assigned kindergarten students to 3 instructional groups: a writing workshop group, an interactive writing group, and a control group. Results of this full-year experimental study show that code-based writing instruction can complement the acquisition of important early reading skills. We present the implications of these findings.