This episode of Literacy Talks examines the fundamental role of oral language in student success and literacy development. The hosts – Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay – share their journeys of understanding the distinction between speech and language and how oral language forms the foundation for all literacy skills, from reading comprehension to writing. They explore practical strategies for creating a language-rich classroom environment, including techniques like the “strive for five” approach to extend student conversations.
The discussion also covers effective ways to assess oral language development and research-backed interventions to support students’ language comprehension. Throughout the conversation, the experts emphasize the long-term, far-reaching impact of prioritizing oral language instruction in the classroom.
Season 6, Episode 13
Show Notes
Literacy Leaders:
- Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan
- Tricia A. Zucker
- Sonia Cabell
- Julie Washington
- Hugh Catts
- Stanislas Dehaene
- Leslie Laud
Resources:
- Right to Read inquiry report—Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)
- Strive-for-Five Conversations
- Scarborough’s Reading Rope
- Literacy Talks—Comprehension: It’s the Heart of the Matter
- Seesaw
- Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD)
- Evidence-based interventions for reading and language difficulties: creating a virtuous circle (Snowling & Hulme, 2011)
Terms:
- Dialogic reading: a shared reading technique that involves a conversation about a book between an adult and a child. The goal is to help the child become the storyteller while the adult listens and guides the conversation. Dialogic reading can help children develop their language and literacy skills, including oral vocabulary and listening comprehension.
