ALT What is the simple view of writing? Working Memory The ability to hold information in mind while completing another task. Transcription Transcription skills include letter formation (handwriting) and word-writing (spelling). Text Generation Text generation skills include writing sentences, paragraphs, and longer texts. Executive Functions Executive functions broadly refer to higher-order writing skills, such as planning and revising text. (Berninger & Amtmann, 2003)

ALT Working Memory Working memory is critical to the development of each of the three vertices of the Simple View of Writing triangle. When learners first begin to develop a skill - transcription skills, for example - their working memory is dedicated to acquiring the skills. As those skills become automatic, writers commit considerably less of their working memory to the skills, freeing up space in their attention to develop more complicated writing skills (text generation and higher-order writing skills). Transcription Transcription skills are the foundational building blocks of broader writing skills. These skills include letter formation and word-writing. Research shows that handwriting skills are predictive of future spelling skills, and transcription skills are predictive of more complex writing skills.

ALT Text Generation Text generation skills are dependent upon transcription skills (e.g., writing accurate sentences requires handwriting and spelling skills. Therefore, improving transcription (e.g., providing handwriting instruction) should also help students with upper levels of written language, including sentence or paragraph writing. Executive Functions Executive function skills often occur at the paragraph level and beyond, but they can be applied at the sentence level as well. Executive functions are highly cognitive tasks, and they typically develop after both transcription and text generation skills have been mastered.

ALT blog post What is the relationship between reading and writing automaticity? Reading and writing are often understood as related skills. However, the relationship between reading and writing automaticity—the ability to perform reading and writing tasks accurately and effortlessly—is still being examined. The researchers of this study aimed to analyze the relationship between reading and writing automaticity in late elementary school students when performing writing-in-response-to-reading tasks. By exploring the relationship between these skills for students across grade levels, the researchers aimed to identify key periods in the co-development of reading and writing automaticity.

ALT What Did the Researchers Find? Reading and writing automaticity showed a significant association for students in Grades 4 and 5 and the strongest writers in Grade 3. Furthermore, the highest performing writers in Grade 5 demonstrated a significantly stronger association between reading and writing automaticity than their less proficient peers. However, the results also indicate that reading automaticity accounts for only 14–30% of the total variance in writing automaticity. This suggests that reading automaticity alone does not account for all the variability in students’ levels of writing automaticity; other factors, such as typing fluency, spelling, etc. may contribute to differing writing automaticity scores as well. (Tortorelli & Truckenmiller, 2024)

ALT What Are the Implications of These Findings? While this study does not suggest that reading automaticity alone accounts for variability in writing automaticity scores, it does demonstrate that reading and writing automaticity are more significantly associated in the highest performing writers across grade levels. This indicates that automaticity in reading skills may facilitate stronger performance in writing-in-response-to-reading tasks. That said, because higher scores in reading automaticity do not always correlate with increased writing automaticity, these findings also indicate that explicit instruction in both reading and writing, as well as the integration of these skills, is necessary for achieving proficiency in writing-in-response-to-reading tasks. Read the blog to learn more