Engaging in frequent, meaningful conversation during the early years of schooling is foundational for children's literacy development. Specifically, developing oral language through daily conversations is essential for language comprehension, and eventually, reading comprehension. In this article, we discuss how teachers can use the…

With so many devices and a plethora of tools to talk to others remotely, oral communication is now overwhelmingly on display like never before, and speaking is becoming more dominant than it used to be. Given this context, it's time for education to stop focusing primarily on reading and writing. Most students don't receive adequate preparation to…

This article illustrates the potential of using children's play and interest in constructive materials like LEGO bricks to support early literacy, particularly in improving the use of descriptive language. The article describes an action plan using storytelling and constructive LEGO play to improve the children's use of descriptive language and…

This meta-analytic review demonstrates that language interventions can improve oral language in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. We assessed interventions that target language skills in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The interventions had to use techniques ranging from explicit and structured activities (explicit…

Multilingual children represent a rapidly growing population of students in U.S. schools. However, identification of language and learning disabilities for students from different linguistic backgrounds is complex, leading to frequent misidentification of multilingual learners for special education. This article provides guidance on how special…

Early childhood is a critical time for oral language development. Reading aloud is one of the most common instructional activities aimed at fostering oral language skills. It plays a vital role in supporting multilingual or emergent bilingual learners' oral language learning development. Through this article, the authors wish to inform teachers of…

Many early childhood educators use the evidenced-based practice of interactive shared book reading (ISBR) to promote the development of important communication and literacy skills. ISBR for preschoolers has been shown to build both vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, which in turn contributes to later language and reading comprehension…

This paper describes teachers' practices and their perceptions regarding the teaching and learning of oral language in Catalan schools. We used the Assessment Scale for Oral Language Teaching in School Settings (EVALOE) instrument, created and validated with the aim of assessing teachers' practices for promoting the development of language skills…

Scientific English is a section of academic English which refers to the study of scientific subjects like biology and chemistry rather than humanistic subjects such as history and literature. The teaching of Scientific English can be a demanding task for language teachers since it concerns not only the common instruction of linguistic aspects of…

Two key ingredients for developing language skills are output and interaction. The use of computer-mediated communication (often referred to as "CMC") tools and of social networking sites (SNSs) offer a valuable resource to English language teachers and learners who wish to extend learning beyond the classroom walls, especially as…

Purpose: Narrative interventions are a class of language interventions that involve the use of telling or retelling stories. Narrative intervention can be an efficient and versatile means of promoting a large array of academically and socially important language targets that improve children's access to general education curriculum and enhance…

Current conversations about children's literacy have focused on the need for more phonics and decoding instruction and have sidelined the importance of children's language development, argues George Hruby. Language development involves more than the ability to decode written language. The ability to understand the meaning of those words is also…

I propose an integrative theoretical framework for reading and writing acquisition, called the interactive dynamic literacy model, after reviewing theoretical models of reading and writing, and recent efforts in integrating theoretical models within reading and writing, respectively. The central idea of the interactive dynamic literacy model is…

Home and English language learning is essential for young DLLs with disabilities. Early educators as well as parents and other caregivers can implement promising strategies to support home and second language development for young children who are DLLs. This article reviews the importance of adult (e.g., teacher, parent) feedback and language…

This paper explores radio play as an alternative space for learning language and literacy for Jamaican students labeled as 'at-risk' learners. Through the creation of a make-believe radio station in the classroom, students developed oral language skills as a necessary precursor for social literacy. They connected reading and writing activities and…