Language Arts Development Essay

The reading process begins well before children start school where the introduction to language comes from parents providing a rich environment surrounded by suitable oral language experiences, exposure to a range of books, and the

Language is the way people communicate with each other. It allows us/them to express their thoughts and impart information through writing or speech. However, this exchange is not necessarily always objective as words and their meaning can/may be tainted by the speaker’s intentions. In politics, language is not only a powerful tool to conceal the truth and influence the public’s opinion but also a weapon against their opponents.

* Learning-Speech, language and communication skills support children’s learning development as they will be able to

A child begins to form words somewhere between ten and eighteen months of age. The first word of a child is often momma or dada. The child repeats the sounds or utterances heard from the adults around him. Speech does not actually occur until the spoken word is deliberate and meant to communicate. By the time a child reaches kindergarten he has likely gained a 2000 – 3000 word vocabulary. While this number may seem excessive Dr. Mary E. Dahlgren states that a beginning kindergartener should have a 6000 word vocabulary for optimum grade and class performance (Dahlgren, 2008). In the classroom a student’s vocabulary size was an effective predictor of reading comprehension. Children with a restricted or limited vocabulary also had declining comprehension scores in the third grade. The elementary teacher can promote speaking by allowing the student the opportunity to speak and by listening to the student completely. Discussing a recently read book, or open discussions are ways in which a teacher can aid a student’s speech development.

Children develop communication skills from birth. They rely on speech, language and communication to be able to learn at school and play with their friends. They need these skills to reach their full potential. Children begin to understand words before they can say them. They then learn how to say these words and how to put them together to make sentences. Some develop quickly,

Children are able to connect the visual of seeing letters on the page and the vocal sound of their parent as they are being read to. They also learn their colors, shapes, alphabet, numbers, and expand their vocabulary. Each of these skills will assist in reading comprehension and literacy.

Speaking and listening is important because it develops a range of skills which can benefit the child. It links with cognitive development, thinking and learning. It also links with language, emotional and

Language is becoming a powerful means of communication. From connecting two words first children are beginning gradually to build up sentences and their talking is becoming understandable even to those who are not in regular contact with the child. Even though there might be the odd mistake in the sentence structure, the language toward the end of this period is becoming fluent and children ask questions and generally enjoy expressing themselves through language.

I learned how to read at a very early age. My parents taught me my ABC’s when I was two years old. They would read Dr. Seuss books to me such as “The Cat in the Hat” in which they would have me to repeat the words as the read to me. They also would read “See Spot Run” which became one of my favorites. As well as, “Dick and Jane: Jump and Run.”

“For those of us who already know how to read and write, this realization seems very basic, almost transparent” as cited by Adams, Foorman, Lundberg & Beeler (1998). However, research tells us the spoken language is a sequence of little sounds that is not natural to humans. “A strong understanding of phonemic concepts must be solidly in place prior to formal instruction in reading. It is critical that a child make the association that words on the page are simply talk written down” (Tankersley,

This artifact represents eleven methods helpful for developing student’s oral language skills. Components essential for developing language and literacy include practice speaking and writing formally, as well as reading and listening. Communication has five areas to oral language development including; vocabulary, syntax (grammar), morphological skills (meaning of words forms and parts), pragmatics (the social rules of communication), and phonological skills (rhymes and syllables). In this artifact I provide strategies for developing these skills emphasizing the need for students to talk more than the teacher, regardless of their skill level. Practice need not always be structured around a curriculum goal such as chemistry, it can be an activity that encourages an ELL student to tell about their favorite food, or their family, or a special tradition they have at home. Developing oral language is about having student practice. Having student’s write down their stories can help develop their literacy.

From the beginning of class until now, language arts instruction in its relation to culturally relevant pedagogy and the usage of funds of knowledge has been the primary emphasis. Language arts instruction focuses on teaching children how to read, speak, write, and listen effectively. In order for students to read effectively, a teacher must instruct his/her students with skills, strategies, and concepts that are related to comprehension, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary. Learning the domain of speaking, requires an understanding of pronunciations and the various sounds that a letter can produce. Teaching students to write effectively involves guiding students through the writing process.

Learning to read is a valuable and important skill that children acquire from a very early age. Children gain an understanding of the different sounds in our spoken language from a wide range of different experiences and social interaction with their environment. For example, singing and saying rhymes, sharing books, making and listening to music, pretend play, listening to adults and joining in conversations etc ect. as mentioned by Vygotsky (1978)

Most young children develop language rapidly, moving from crying and cooing in infancy to using hundreds of words and understanding their meanings by the time they are ready to enter kindergarten. Language development is a major accomplishment and is one of the most rewarding experiences for anyone to share with a child. Children learn to speak and understand words by being around adults and peers who communicate with them and encourage their efforts to talk.

In teaching and learning English, there are two aspects that should be concerned. The first one is the language skills such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The second one is the language components such as vocabulary, and grammar. These two aspects are taught in order to make the students achieve the ability in communicating both in spoken and written forms.