This article describes a research study that implemented literacy methods for the purpose of promoting reading comprehension with links to student writing through the practice of integrating reader response before, during, and following teacher read-alouds, and then extending the reader response into the composing process of student-created stories about Native Americans. The main question that guided the study was: How will the integration of direct instruction in story structure together with reader response to traditional literature influence children's composition of self-created stories? Findings and classroom implications are discussed.