For years, we have known that most children who struggle with the acquisition of oral language, will again face that same struggle when they begin to learn to read. Why? Language is language regardless if it is oral or written. The same processes are at work.
Knowing this is a positive finding, for it allows us to be proactive with these children when it comes to learning to read and write.
Speech and language pathologists understand the language and literacy link and have therapy and programming ideas for parents and teachers to facilitate this area. One of the most important areas that parents can focus on in young children is rhyming. Rhyming is a sound manipulation activity and children that have skills in this area find it easier to sound words out in reading and writing. Introducing young children to books with rhyming patterns and encouraging them to recognize and generate rhyme in everyday language will help build a strong foundation for future literacy skills.
If you are concerned about your child’s language development or if there is a history of reading difficulties in the family, please contact us to schedule an evaluation to see how we can help.