Oral language greatly affects the reading process. As children begin to develop oral language,
they begin to make rules for language. I
found the reading this week very interesting in that it stated that all
children are wired for language, it does not matter what language they are
exposed to. I have worked with many
children, both ELL learners and children with limited language exposure. These children struggle with reading because
they do not have the vocabulary to comprehend what is being read. When children have a strong vocabulary, they
are able to make connections to stories.
The children are also able to build on their vocabulary as they read and
can make inferences about what a word might mean. A child may not know what a German Shepard
is, but based on the sentence, the child would be able to figure out that the
sentence is about a dog. Because the
child has an understanding of what a dog is, they are also able to have an
understanding of a German Shepard.
Oral language development occurs long before reading skills
are developed. Oral language is the
foundation of understanding. I have read
several studies that track the quantity and quality of language children are
exposed to. The studies I have read, by
Ruby Pane, have found that children in poverty are exposed to less language and
the quality of language is poor. As
these children enter school, they tend to struggle more with reading. The lack of exposure to language can really
affect reading.
When I recall my first reading experiences, I feel like the
time my parents spent reading to me made the biggest difference in my ability
to read. I remember reading and sounding
out words. Because I had heard the word
used before, I was able to gain meaning of the story. Listening to language and being able to use
language will help children build the necessary skills to develop reading
comprehension.
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