Oral language development and reading process are reciprocal in nature. Often students talk about what they read and as they read more, their oral language skills become increasingly stronger. Typically, students with strong oral language skills tend to be better readers by virtue that they have larger vocabularies and are more familiar with words. We know that when a child is developing in their first language, they go through a process of learning to listen, then speak, then read, then write. As each skill develops so do the others. As a student becomes a more proficient writer, their reading generally becomes more proficient as well. Same with reading and speaking; as students become more proficient readers, their language skills go up and as their language skills go up, typically, so do their reading abilities.
Hi Jonell,
ReplyDeleteI agree that reading and oral language development go hand in hand. Giving students the opportunity to verbalize their ideas and feelings with each other will absolutely reap significant benefits for the social and then academic language. Understanding the process that children go through when learning their first language is incredibly important when considering the process of acquiring a new language. Using strong imagery in picture books, for example, encourages vocabulary development and eventually written word recognition. Teacher modeling and explicit instruction as new stories and terms are approached will help reinforce language development, and repeated exposure to favorite stories, songs, and chants increases engagement in both the spoken and written word. You’re absolutely right that development in students’ written and reading language is deeply entwined.