Relationship between oral language and reading acquisition

Entry #3:

     The development of oral language is essential to a child’s reading acquisition, and it is a key indicator of children’s reading abilities (Dickinson, Cote, & Smith, 1993). Certainly, the need for oral language opportunities increases as many of our classrooms become more diverse. As a teacher, I strive enhance oral language development for all of my students by: providing authentic opportunities for children to engage in purposeful, focused conversations; having “song books” where children read and sing familiar songs while learning new vocabulary and experimenting with language; providing models of language through children’s literature and mentor texts; having shared reading of familiar texts, songs, or rhymes to enhance oral language; giving children predictable routines which allow them to feel safe to explore language orally and in writing; exposing children to new vocabulary through read alouds; and providing many opportunities to talk in cooperative learning groups. The amount of oral language that children have is “an indicator of their success or struggle in school” (Kirkland, L.D. & Patterson, J. 2005, p. 391). Knowing this, teachers must focus on oral language in order to successfully meet children’s literacy needs and facilitate their reading development.

Check out the website "Oral Language Development for Beginners" at Colorin Colorado for teaching strategies that help develop ELLs oral language in the classroom!http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/content/oral

Dickinson, D., Cote, L., & Smith, M. (1993). Learning vocabulary in preschool: Social and discourse contexts      affecting vocabulary growth. In C. Daiute (Ed.), The   development of literacy through social interaction. (pp. 67-68). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.


Kirkland, L.D. & Patterson, J. (2005). Early Childhood Education Journal: Vol. 32. Developing oral language in primary classrooms (pp. 391-395). Doi: 10.1007/s10643-005-009-3.