Oral Language and the Reading Process

Early language acquisition lays the foundation for literacy.  Children start by making sounds, then words, and then sentences.  As children develop language, they are developing the ability to create meaning of language.  This is similar to how children learn to read.  They begin to recognize letters, and then learn that letters are associated with sounds.  Sounds come together to form words, and then sentences, which all have meaning.

Language skills and reading skills quickly become entwined.  As children experience more in life, their vocabulary and ability to use language grows.  Likewise, as students are exposed to a variety of reading experiences, their knowledge of new concepts continues to grow.  In other words, as students develop oral language, their ability to understand their reading grows, and vice versa.