Judith Hochman, Ed.D., co-author of 'The Writing Revolution' and a veteran educator, engages in a riveting discussion about the critical links between writing and reading skills. She shares her journey in transforming writing instruction, emphasizing that effective teaching transcends mere assignment of tasks. Hochman provides insight into foundational sentence structure for young learners, innovative instructional strategies, and the broader implications of enhanced writing on literacy. Listeners will appreciate her actionable tips for elevating writing in classrooms.
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Staten Island High School Success
A failing high school in Staten Island adopted Dr. Hochman’s writing approach after the principal saw student writing displayed.
The school improved across metrics, becoming a showcase for writing instruction.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Sentence Strategies
Teach sentence construction using because, but, so conjunctions to enhance comprehension and target thinking.
Expand kernel sentences with who, what, when, where, why questions to build complete sentences.
insights INSIGHT
Writing Improves Comprehension
Written composition strengthens reading comprehension.
Teaching writing helps students think analytically and critically, improving understanding.
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A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
Judith C. Hochman
Kathleen Maloney
Natalie Wexler
The Writing Revolution offers a systematic and evidence-based approach to teaching writing, integrating seamlessly into existing curricula. The method, developed by Dr. Judith C. Hochman, focuses on specific techniques tailored to students’ needs and provides targeted feedback to transform weak writers into strong, confident communicators. It enhances reading comprehension, improves organizational skills, enriches oral language, and develops analytical abilities. The book is a practical guide for teachers to incorporate these strategies into their content instruction, making it a valuable tool for advancing students’ writing and thinking skills[1][2][5].
Basic Writing Skills, A Manual for Teachers
Basic Writing Skills, A Manual for Teachers
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Judith Hochman
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Judith Hochman, Ed.D., co-author of “The Writing Revolution.” Their conversation begins as Dr. Hochman recalls the early days of writing instruction and research, then delves into the connection between better writing and better reading. Dr. Hochman touches upon topics such as writing comprehension, her experience implementing writing instruction as a classroom teacher and as an administrator, and how the writing revolution came to be. She also answers a question from our listener mailbag, providing a detailed overview of the scope and sequence for transitioning student writing from sentence composition to paragraphs to whole texts.
“I had an epiphany that our students really had to learn writing as a second language.” —Judith Hochman
“Having students write a lot is not teaching writing. It's just like if you put a lot of books in a classroom, students don't magically begin to read.” —Judith Hochman
“This is not learned by osmosis, and it's not learned by vague feedback like, ‘Make it better,’ or, ‘Add more details.’ You've got to be very granular. This is not a naturally occurring skill in human development for any of us.” —Judith Hochman
Episode timestamps* 03:00 Introduction: Who is Judith Hochman? 06:00 Time as an administrator 09:00 Judith’s early days of teaching writing 11:00 Classroom activities for teaching students to write 12:00 Atlantic article and NYC high school case 15:00 The writing revolution 16:00 How kids learn to write based on the research 20:00 Listener mailbag question 21:00 Writing and comprehension 27:00 Transitioning from writing sentences to writing paragraphs 34:00 Final thoughts *Timestamps are approximate
Science of Reading: The Podcast 