Document Type
Article
Abstract
Oral language abilities enable children to learn to read, and they predict future academic achievement and life outcomes. However, children with language impairment frequently go unidentified because schools do not systematically measure oral language development. Given that identification paves the way for treatment, schools should increase attention to oral language development, particularly within response to intervention (RTI) frameworks, which aim to prevent learning disabilities by identifying and intervening at early stages. Formal schooling should address language comprehension (in addition to word reading) to ensure an adequate foundation for future reading comprehension. In support, we overview the developmental relations between oral language abilities and reading skills, review current school-based assessment frameworks, and discuss how these frameworks can include language assessments. Measuring language skills early and often benefits not only those who have language impairment but also all children, as it documents language variability to inform differentiated instruction.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Policy Insights From The Behavioral And Brain Sciences, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2019, pages 210-217.
Rights
© The Author(s) 2019 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
APA Citation
Adlof, S., & Hogan, T. (2019). If We Don’t Look, We Won’t See: Measuring Language Development to Inform Literacy Instruction. Policy Insights From The Behavioral And Brain Sciences, 6(2), 210-217. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732219839075