Introduction

This manual gathers existing and newly created resources to support the Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) Co-requisite curriculum design. Traditionally, writing and reading are treated as different disciplines in developmental education. Reading and writing instructors often approach literacy processes with different methods, purposes, and terminologies. As a result, the reading and writing processes are taught separately and skills are conceptualized and delivered without explicit connections. The IRW approach connects both sets of skills to develop students’ proficiency in both critical reading and academic writing.

This resource manual aims to:      

• Make explicit the reading-writing connection to direct students’ thinking as both readers and writers
• Provide condensed reading instructions and strategy descriptions to scaffold integrated reading and writing assignments
• Demonstrate the use of  low-stakes writing assignments to assess students’ critical reading
• Provide a spectrum of sample assignments, both formal and informal, that develop and assess students’ competencies in reading and writing
• Provide sample practices and activities that cover student learning outcomes
• Offer a foundational resource that facilitates future integrated reading and writing curriculum development

It includes reading/vocabulary skills and strategies that support student reading, writing, critical and metacognitive thinking. It also addresses the following essential questions about the design of course syllabus and assignments and offers practical suggestions with examples.

1. What is the structure of an integrated reading and writing course?
2. How to develop an integrated reading and writing syllabus using this manual?
3. What assignments can be used in an IRW course?
4. What are the evaluation criteria for a reading assessment/quiz?
5. What to include in an IRW class portfolio?
6. What kinds of formative assessments help develop students’ reading skills?

This preliminary edition is created primarily for the corequisite courses, but it can also be used by writing instructors who plan to use the integrated reading and writing approach.