Donna Psutka is a speech-language pathologist with the London Board of Education. She developed this handout for parent groups which support literacy in the schools. Some of the information here was adapted from articles in the Parent Articles 2 binder - De Feo, A.B. (Ed.), (1995), Communication Skills Builders.

Reading is a language-based activity. Beginning readers use the language they have gained through speaking and listening to help them understand the printed word. To be literate - to read and write - is to be able to deal with language on paper.

Vocabulary
One of the most important things you can do to help with reading and writing is to teach new vocabulary during everyday experiences. At the grocery store, help your child name different kinds of fruits, meats, desserts, etc. When folding laundry, talk about how things can be sorted into categories, their similarities and differences, colours, and sizes.

Reading books to children exposes them to many new concepts, events, and experiences, which in turn will help them expand their vocabulary. When reading with your child use vocabulary specifically used to teach reading:

• top/bottom
• first/last/middle
• beginning/ending
• letter/word/sentence/story
• sound/rhyme

Sentence Structure
Sentence structure is used by listeners to understand spoken language and by readers to understand written language. Encourage proper use of sentences by repeating your child’s incorrect sentences correctly, with emphasis on the corrected words. For example, if your child says, "Him goed to the store", you can say, "Yes, he went to the store."

Story Structure
A story must be told in sequence with a beginning, middle, and end; it features characters, a setting, a problem, and a solution. Children learn about this story structure through exposure to lots of stories. Encourage children to re-tell stories. You may need to prompt them to tell you "What happened first... second... at the end?" Encourage them to describe the characters and where the story took place. Don’t be afraid to make up your own stories!

Speech Sound Awareness
When learning to read and write, one must pay close attention to individual sounds in words. Understanding rhyme and other speech sound properties is part of what is called phonological awareness - an important bridge between speaking and reading.

You can help your child develop phonological awareness by drawing attention to sounds as you read. Look for nursery rhymes, books, and songs that emphasize sound play such as Dr. Seuss and Mother Goose. Children delight in hearing and producing silly words and sounds!

Play games using rhymes: To play "I Spy", ask your child to spy an object that rhymes with a given word. For a more challenging "I Spy" game, ask your child to choose words with the same beginning or ending speech sounds. It is important to emphasize the sound, not the letter name.

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all forms of communication. You can show your child the power of both spoken and written language by:

• talking about people and experiences,
• listening to each other’s ideas, stories, and feelings,
• tracking events using a calendar or a scrapbook,
• providing reading and writing materials (magazines, books, paper, markers, pencils, etc.),
• modelling different purposes of read- ing and writing (pleasure, learning, shopping lists, etc.).

The relationship between spoken language and reading is complex. You and your child can enjoy exploring the many forms and purposes of language together.

© Communiqué, CASLPA/ACOA