In the early years of literacy instruction, much of the focus naturally gravitates toward helping students learn to read. But if we want to build confident, capable communicators, we need to recognize that writing is equally essential—and closely connected to reading. Writing doesn’t develop in a vacuum. It depends on a strong foundation of skills, knowledge, and experiences that begin well before a child ever puts pencil to paper.
One of the most important elements in this foundation is background knowledge—a child’s understanding of the world based on their unique life experiences. This knowledge fuels comprehension, supports vocabulary growth, and, crucially, gives students something meaningful to write about. When students have rich, relevant background knowledge, they are better prepared to express their thoughts clearly, creatively, and with purpose. But background knowledge is only one part of the writing equation.
To truly support young writers, we also need to explicitly teach foundational writing skills—the physical, cognitive, and linguistic abilities that make writing possible. These include everything from handwriting and spelling to sentence construction and the ability to organize ideas. Together, background knowledge and foundational skills provide both the why and the how of writing, empowering students to grow as both thinkers and communicators.
A Dynamic Relationship: Reading, Writing, and the Brain
According to the Interactive Dynamic Literacy Model (Kim, 2020; 2022), reading and writing develop together in a dynamic and interconnected way. Literacy isn’t a linear path where students learn to read first and write later. Instead, oral language, cognitive development, motivation, and background knowledge all interact as students begin to make sense of written language—both as readers and writers.
This means that when we focus on teaching writing, we’re not stepping away from reading instruction—we’re reinforcing it. Writing gives students an opportunity to synthesize and apply what they’re learning as readers, deepening their comprehension and helping them process new information in meaningful ways.
Background Knowledge: A Critical Ingredient in Early Writing
While background knowledge is often discussed in the context of reading comprehension, it is just as essential for writing. In fact, when students don’t know much about a topic, they often struggle to write more than a few basic sentences. But when they’ve had experiences—whether through real-world exposure, classroom discussions, read-alouds, or multimedia resources—they have something to say. They can describe, analyze, explain, and reflect with much greater ease.
The Double Helix Model (Hacking & Wyse, 2024) reinforces this point by illustrating how reading and writing are intertwined, each shaped by a child’s environment, language exposure, and home life. This model acknowledges that literacy is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Students bring different strengths and challenges to the classroom, and their ability to write is influenced by the world they know and how they’ve interacted with it.
But background knowledge doesn’t stop at content—it also includes genre knowledge. Young writers need to understand the different types of writing they’ll encounter: stories, letters, informational texts, opinion pieces, and more. They need to know why we write in different ways for different purposes and audiences. When students learn the features and goals of various genres, they begin to write with intention, using structure and voice in ways that align with their message.
Foundational Skills: Giving Students the Tools to Write
Even the most knowledgeable students will struggle to express their ideas without the physical and cognitive tools to do so. That’s why foundational writing skills—like handwriting, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure—are so important. These lower-level skills must become automatic so students can devote their mental energy to higher-level tasks like planning, revising, and crafting meaningful content (Sweller, 1988; Graham et al., 1997).
When students spend too much effort on how to form letters or spell words, it interrupts the flow of ideas. This is why writing instruction must include explicit, consistent practice in these foundational skills. Students need opportunities to develop their fine motor coordination, strengthen their visual memory for letters and words, and learn the conventions of written language in a supportive, structured environment (James & Engelhardt, 2012).
Research shows that handwriting instruction, in particular, has a powerful impact on the brain. It helps develop the visual and motor pathways that support both reading and writing fluency. As students gain proficiency in the mechanics of writing, they’re better able to translate their ideas into clear, cohesive text.
Bridging the “Why” and the “How”
When we teach both background knowledge and foundational writing skills, we’re giving students two essential tools: meaning and mechanics. Meaning comes from what they know and why they’re writing. Mechanics give them the power to express that meaning clearly and effectively. It’s not enough to teach one without the other.
For example, a student might understand the structure of a personal narrative and have a meaningful story to tell—but if they lack the handwriting fluency or spelling ability to get it down on paper, their writing suffers. Likewise, a student may be able to write legibly and spell correctly, but without a strong understanding of the topic or genre, their writing may feel flat or unfocused.
Final Thoughts
Supporting early writers means recognizing the deeply interconnected nature of literacy. We can’t separate writing from reading, or mechanics from meaning. Instead, we must build our instruction on a balanced foundation—one that nurtures both background knowledge and foundational skills.
By doing so, we help students become more than just proficient writers—we help them become thoughtful communicators who can express their ideas, share their stories, and engage with the world through written language. Writing isn’t just a skill; it’s a powerful tool for thinking, learning, and connection. And it starts with giving students the knowledge, support, and practice they need to grow.
 |
Liza LaRue, Ed.D. is a Texas Reading Academies cohort leader. She serves as a Texas Reading Academies Specialist for Region 7 ESC. Her career experience includes teaching, instructional coaching, and state-wide, as well as national leadership in reading and writing instruction. Dr. LaRue has authored peer-reviewed articles in the area of literacy. She is past chair for the Texas Association for Literacy Education and on the International Literacy Association Nominating Board Committee from 2022-2025. |