Speech, Language and Literacy

Speech, language and literacy skills are closely related in many ways. They develop in some common areas of the brain. Strengths and weaknesses found in one skill may also be present in another skill.

Children’s speech and language skills emerge naturally. They develop in some predictable patterns as a child grows. For example, an infant will naturally pronounce certain sounds earlier than other sounds. A child will learn to use single words and then begin to combine them into common kinds of phrases and early sentences. (See http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm).

Literacy refers to reading and writing skills. Language and literacy possess many similar characteristics. Many early literacy skills are actually language-based abilities. For example reading comprehension development is closely related to listening comprehension.

But not all literacy knowledge is language-based. Many literacy skills have to be specifically taught; they do not develop naturally. The letters and sounds of the alphabet is an example of a skill that a child needs to directly learn.

(See http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/helpingread.htm and http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/researchread.htm).