Most middle school students can summarize what they’ve read, but their thinking often stops there. In this episode, we explore what it really means to help students read like writers by shifting their focus from what happened to how the author made it happen. When students begin noticing structure, pacing, repetition, and word choice as intentional decisions, comprehension deepens and classroom discussions become more thoughtful.

You’ll walk away with specific, manageable ways to build this shift into your classroom. Simple question changes, focused craft lenses, and conference prompts that move students beyond summary and into analysis. We’ll also explore how hearing authors talk about their own craft can reinforce the idea that writing is built through choices, helping students transfer what they notice as readers into their own writing.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Resources you may find helpful:

• Voices in Lit! Podcast Series
• Reading Reflection Sheet
• Reader Response Task Cards

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Teaching Evidence Evaluation All Year Long
• Moving Students Beyond Surface-Level Reading
• Modeling the Writing Process: A Powerful Tool for Teaching Writing

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