I believe that a child's oral language development and success at the reading process are dependent upon one another.
At an early age, students need to have constant exposure to the English language and also have the opportunity to practice both speaking and listening skills. Children who grow up in an environment where they are encouraged to participate in family discussions and listen, greatly benefit when it comes to understanding the relationship between oral language and the reading process.
Students need to be introduced to the sounds of the English language (phonemic awareness) as well as build a connection or association to the symbols that produce these sounds. (phonics) Without these beginning blocks to build a strong foundation, a child will have little success when it comes to the overall reading process.
As these skills strengthen, students will have the ability to make connections with words that appear frequently in text, and start to understand that the words coming from a note or book are connected to the exact words that we speak aloud to each other.
With further practice and repetition of words, letters, sounds, and how they connect, the child will embark successfully in the reading process.
Shannon-
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that oral language and the reading process are interdependent! I appreciate that you pointed out that "students need to have constant exposure to the English language and also have the opportunity to practice both speaking and listening skills." I think it is so important for students to practice their speaking skills in the classroom in order to raise their overall understanding of a new language. Gibbons (2002, p.15) suggests that "interaction is a significant factor in language development." The more we allow our students to collaborate and interact with each other, the more language they will develop, and therefore, increase their understanding of the reading process.
Shannon,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% that reading skills and oral language development go hand in hand. I feel like oral language development is the forgotten or neglected skill of reading. In ECE, oral language development is a large part of our day, but when I taught 1st grade, it was only encouraged if there was time.
There is research that says students who have better oral language skills also tend to have better reading skills. I don't think that it's coincidental that the two are related like that. I think you are right that the more students are encouraged to talk, the more familiar they become with the sounds of the language which transfer when the students begin to learn how to read.