Abstract
In the chapter Literacy For Pleasure – Connect Reading & Writing, from our book Writing For Pleasure: Theory, Research & Practice, we delve into the impact of personal response on writing, emphasising how readers’ emotional and cognitive engagement with texts can shape their writing practices. Drawing on our own writing teaching (Young & Ferguson 2020), this chapter explores how young writers often infuse their writing with elements from their ‘life texts’—a range of experiences and media that resonate with them personally (LINK). We argue for the value of this personal connection in the writing process, advocating that young writers should be encouraged to draw upon their own responses and experiences as they craft their own texts (LINK).
The chapter also addresses the issue of text ownership in educational settings. It critiques the imposition of the book-planning 1.0 approach and the uniform writing tasks tethered to teacher-selected texts, which can stifle personal engagement and lead to a disconnection between students and their writing (LINK). Historical perspectives highlight the drawbacks of mandatory, uniform writing assignments, echoing concerns about how excessive teacher intervention can detract from students’ authentic responses.
Furthermore, we challenge the assumption that a single text chosen by a scheme writer can effectively engage all students. Instead we advocate for a new book planning 2.0 approach. A model where students have the autonomy to select from high-quality texts that resonate with them personally. This approach not only fosters deeper personal engagement but also encourages students to take personal responsibility for their own creative processes. By learning to use texts as writers do, students gain the skills to develop their own writing, supported by teacher guidance that enhances, rather than dictates, their responses [LINK].
The chapter concludes by underscoring the importance of integrating personal response into both reading and writing instruction, promoting a model where students are immersed in a rich variety of texts and encouraged to explore their personal connections with these mentor texts [LINK & LINK]. This approach ensures that writing becomes a meaningful and personally rewarding activity, aligning with the views of other educators who advocate for a more writer-centered approach to reading and writing [LINK].
To find out more, download our book Writing For Pleasure here.
