Reading and writing are core competencies in not only every single academic subject but in every workplace. In today’s complex, information, and data-driven society, the need to read content and write as a form of expression is even more critical.  Unfortunately, as the need for these basic skills increase, the ability of our secondary students to competently perform said tasks decreases. As workplace texts become more complex, the texts with which we train our future generations in both primary and secondary schools become easier. In fact, “employers rank reading and writing as top deficiency’s in new hires” (1). Moreover, a sizeable sum is spent by employers in the remediation effort to ensure new hires are proficient in basic reading and writing skills.

Why are secondary students graduating from high school without basic competencies in reading and writing? The reasons are as plentiful as the student’s individual differences; however, one universal strategy to remedy the deficiencies is to teach both reading and writing in each classroom as both a method of instruction and intellectual activity (2).

For reading, incorporating multiple literacies into the classroom helps students learn to mentally organize information and learn key vocabulary. Teaching writing can pose more challenges for educators than teaching reading, simply because writing is a time-consuming craft. However, there are five guiding principles regarding writing instruction (2):

1. Teacher: The teacher is the facilitator of the process and an expert in the content
2. Time: Time must be made for writing. Because writing is a process of drafting and re-drafting, there must be ample time dedicated to the task of writing.
3. Technology: Technology can be used to help students in the writing process. Software such as Microsoft Word and Google Classroom can change the entire landscape of writing for countless students.
4. Assessment: Measure student growth in writing. Although this is a difficult and somewhat subjective task, the assessment of growth in writing is critical to helping students find strategies to make them better writers.
5. Practical Strategies: Implementing strategies such as pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing assists the student in the “how” of writing

Once students learn that sitting down and writing a paper for submission in one sitting is virtually impossible (unless that is what the assignment calls for), then they will learn that part of the process of writing is patience and part of the process is reflection. These guiding principles of teaching writing improve student learning.

In short, a teacher preparation program requires a course in reading and writing in the content area for each classroom because students cannot be college ready, workplace-ready, or world ready if they cannot read and write. Effective writing is vital for the classroom, and the workplace (2). Once students are fluent readers, they often read for pleasure, and this correlates strongly with academic achievement (1), translating into higher salaries and more job satisfaction in adulthood. It is the responsibility and the opportunity of each educator from each discipline to equip students with the tools they need.