From our Literacy Specialist
Mrs Seyer’s Spotlight on Literacy
Did you know… oral language underpins literacy development?
You may not be aware, but research has shown that oral language has an underlying and persistent influence on children’s literacy abilities. It provides the foundation for developing the ability to hear sounds in words and understanding the letter-sound correspondence of our language. The oral language skill of phonological awareness, which includes the ability to recognise and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words, is actually one of the best predictors of reading achievement. That’s a handy piece of information for us all to have.
Graphic Source: https://www.reallygreatreading.com/
With this knowledge in hand, it is so important that we engage our children in rich and varied opportunities to speak and be spoken to, to be heard and to hear others. The modern world of screens has us doing this less and less, so I’d love for our community to take the time to delve into the importance of oral language a little further and make time to talk with and share experiences with your child/ren. Our interactions, as simple as they may seem, support our children on their journeys as readers and learners.
Check out these two links for some more tips and ideas to help develop your child/ren’s oral language skills:
https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/oral-language/articles/nurturing-oral-language-skills