The Reading Symphony

Why Writing Instruction Is Essential | Dr. Stephen Ciullo

The Reading Symphony

Show Notes

In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast... Katie talks with Dr. Stephen Ciullo, Professor of Education, about what effective writing instruction actually looks like - and why many students, particularly struggling writers and students with learning disabilities, may need more explicit support.

📩 Subscribe to The Reading Symphony on Substack Get practical literacy tips, science-of-reading insights, and evidence-based strategies to help children become stronger readers. Subscribe here: 👉 https://katiemegrian.substack.com/

👤 About Dr. Stephen Ciullo Dr. Stephen Ciullo is a Professor of Education whose research focuses on writing instruction for students with and without learning disabilities and on improving teachers' effectiveness in writing and content-area instruction. His work examines what writing instruction looks like in real classrooms and how research can be translated into practical strategies teachers can use with students.

🔗 Dr. Ciullo's Links: Email: [email protected] Bio: https://faculty.txst.edu/profile/1921294

Chapters 00:00 - Why Teachers Aren't Taught How to Teach Writing 01:00 - Meet Dr. Stephen Ciullo 03:21 - Why Writing Instruction Needs More Attention 05:57 - How Students Become Skilled Writers 07:24 - Skills Students Need to Become Better Writers 08:19 - Cognitive Load and Writing Strategy Overload 11:57 - What Research Says About Teaching Writing 12:18 - Why Writing Skills Don't Transfer Across Genres 14:13 - Teaching Text Structure and Purpose 15:10 - How Parents Can Support Writing Through Reading 17:11 - The Connection Between Reading and Writing 17:51 - Writing Problem or Comprehension Problem? 21:02 - Why Teachers Need More Writing Training 25:42 - What Effective Writing Instruction Looks Like 30:41 - Explicit vs. Incidental Writing Instruction 33:56 - Writing Support for Students With IEPs 34:36 - How to Write Better IEP Goals for Writing 37:37 - What Parents Should Ask About Writing Instruction 41:41 - When Your Child Struggles With Writing

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