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Language Growth
How does language growth affect student's reading development?
Contrary to popular wisdom, a child's development as a reader does not begin the first time he or she picks up a book. The child's development as a future reader begins at birth, the first time he or she hears spoken language. A child's future reading skill is based upon a child's awareness and facility in spoken language, which teaches the child such important concepts as the fact that words are separate units of spoken language and that words are made up of units called letters that divided into separate sounds (Cartwright, 1994).
This awareness of spoken language is especially important to learn a language based upon a written alphabet like English. An alphabet is a symbolic system of communication. Children must learn to connect spoken sounds with abstract written symbols called letters to be able to read the printed word. Playing language games, singing, as well as being read to aloud can be important in the child's development of strong language skills later on in life. These activities help children to learn the difference between contextualized and decontextualized language. "When we write, read, and have conversations, we often use decontextualized language. This is language that is not tied to the immediate context. It may reflect past events, future events, or fictitious events. For example, decontextualized language is used in everyday dinnertime conversation, when adults tell stories of their childhood, or when children tell about their school day" (Cartwright, 1994).
By definition, reading print is decontextualized language, because children must use their developing mental abilities to represent ideas of things that are not present before their eyes. Thus positive and edifying spoken interactions with parents, teachers, and older children are essential for children to become good readers later in life.
Works Cited
Cartwright, Kelly. (1 Nov 1994). "Reading Development Beings at Birth."
Self-Help. Retrieved 2 Dec 2007 at http://www.self-helpmagazine.com/articles/parenting/literacy.html
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