What if every line and curve your students write led them on a path to reading proficiency?


Experience the joys of literacy as we blend the joy of writing with learning to read!


Writing is not just a skill; it’s a cornerstone of literacy. Let’s look at some of the reciprocal benefits of writing when learning to read.



  • Writing reinforces phonemic awareness where it helps solidify the understanding of the relationship between sounds and their written representations.

  • Writing also supports letter recognition. Writing letters improves a learner’s ability to recognize and differentiate different letterforms and supports automaticity, which is an important skill for reading.

  • Additionally, writing is a kinesthetic activity that can enhance memory retention of letters and words while improving fine motor skills, which is needed for legible handwriting. Learners begin to understand the structure of words and the rules of spelling with daily authentic writing experiences.

  • Another reciprocal benefit of writing when it comes to learning to read is writing supports comprehension. Writing words, sentences, stories, messages, etc. aids in understanding meaning and context.

  • Additionally, writing facilitates active learning and supports language development.


As you can see, there are many significant benefits in learning to write that compliment learning to read. Another benefit that is most important to consider as we think about building our proficient readers and writers is that writing promotes confidence in our learners. As children become more adept at writing, their confidence in their literacy skills grows, encouraging them to write and read more.


Writing is a complimentary skill our learners need to grow and develop, as they become literate beings. Writing is a multisensory approach that combines the tactile, visual, and cognitive skills in learning to read and write. With each word they write, our learners are not just practicing phonics, they’re enhancing memory, building confidence, and unlocking the pleasure of reading which is our ultimate goal!


Download the Flying Start to Literacy: PHONICS™ brochure at https://flying-start-phonics.myokapi.com and take a look at the sample writing lesson on page 7. Jot down what you noticed about that part of the lesson. Did you notice an increase in the level of complexity for each task? What was the purpose for each task? What do you notice about the teacher’s language when modeling how to write the letter b?


As you can see, Flying Start to Literacy: PHONICS™ celebrates the pen as much as the book, integrating the act of writing into the heart of learning to read. The lessons integrate the practice of writing with learning to read. By guiding young learners in the physical act of writing, beginning with the foundational strokes of the lowercase 'b', we're reinforcing letter recognition, bolstering phonemic awareness and fine-tuning fine motor skills. These activities serve a dual purpose where they solidify the connection between symbols and sounds, which is crucial for decoding words. As students engage with writing to learn to read, they're laying down a robust framework for fluent reading, accurate spelling, and ultimately, a deeper comprehension of text. Nilaja Taylor.