Literacy and Language Development

Reading and writing are the necessary prerequisite skills for learning across all subject areas, and this will impact future life choices.

 

Language and literacy are closely related because the development of literacy depends on oral language skills; if you can’t say it, you can’t write it! We know that individuals have to develop good strong oral language skills in order to progress to the written word.

 

Speech pathologists acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge about how sounds and words and grammar and meaning are all combined to create effective communication. This is one of the primary areas we work in – oral language! However, this knowledge is highly transferable to written communication and as such, we can use our strong oral language basis to teach clients how to read, write and spell. The same rules and patterns apply to both.

 

Children who have speech or language difficulties earlier in life may go on to have difficulties with literacy as well. This makes sense when you think about all the different skills required for literacy: ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words, understanding the meaning of words and sentences, understanding grammar and syntax. Good oral language skills and auditory skills are important skills for literacy development.

 

If you are concerned about your child’s literacy development, Fremantle Speech Pathology Services can assist with the explicit teaching of:

 

• Sounding out words

• Spelling rules

• Recognising words

• Writing sentences

• Writing stories

• Writing essays

• Comprehending stories

• Understanding written information