CDL's Language and Reading Page

Language is a cognitive process that is used to communicate our thoughts and feelings with others. We can communicate in both oral and written form. The system of language that includes reading (written) and listening (oral) is called receptive language because we are receiving information from some other source. The system of language that includes writing (written) and speaking (oral) is called expressive language because we are sending out information to others. Thus, receptive language can be thought of as the input channel and expressive language as the output channel of communication. The relationships among the four types of language are represented in the following chart:

	Oral	Written
Receptive	Listening	Reading
Expressive	Speaking	Writing

Children who struggle with language often perform poorly in school because they have trouble understanding what is said to them, what they read and/or expressing their thoughts to others. Students with language processing problems must receive instruction or therapy by a qualified professional, as well as accommodations and modifications in the school setting, if necessary, to assure school success.

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Reading is the receptive mode of written language and involves the ability to understand a written message. Reading can develop independently of listening and speaking skills, but often develops along with them. According to a document published by The Partnership for Reading in 2001, Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (PDF, 1.1MB), students must be taught five individual components of reading to be successful readers:

1. Phoneme awareness (the ability to attend to, think about and work with the individual sounds in words)

2. Phonics (the relationship between the sounds and written symbols of language or phoneme-grapheme correspondence)

3. Fluency (the ability to read text quickly and accurately)

4. Vocabulary (the ability to understand the meanings of the words we use to communicate)

5. Comprehension (the ability to derive meaning from what is read, which is the reason for reading)

The most common cause of reading problems is dyslexia. In August 2002, a working group of the International Dyslexia Association, under the direction of G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D., developed the following definition of dyslexia:

"Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge."

While learning to read may be more difficult for children with dyslexia, students with dyslexia can learn to read when they are taught in a direct, sequential and cumulative fashion. According to Louisa Moats, a prominent researcher in the area of reading and teaching children to read, "Very poor readers must have their phonological skills strengthened because the inability to identify speech sounds erodes spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary."

Reading problems may also be caused by breakdowns in other components such as fluency, vocabulary, and/or text comprehension. Deficits in vocabulary and text comprehension are very often associated with oral language difficulties. Poor comprehension of text may be due to challenges with attention and/or memory. Because reading problems have various causes at their root, and because these various causes are treated in different ways, it is critical to specifically identify and address all of the underlying causes.

Writing is the expressive mode of written language and involves using written symbols of language to communicate. Writing not only includes the ability to accurately represent the graphic form of speech (letters and words) but also the ability to develop and express one's thoughts in a cohesive, structured manner. The skills required for effective writing include knowledge of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar, an understanding of how word order in sentences affects meaning, and the ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting ideas or details.

Listening is the receptive mode of oral language and involves the ability to attentively hear what others say to us. Listening involves not only hearing but also understanding what we hear. To listen effectively, you must be able to retain "chunks" of language in short-term and working memory, recognize and understand vocabulary, recognize the stress and rhythm patterns of speech and glean meaning from context.

Speaking is the expressive mode of oral language. Effective speaking skills include the correct pronunciation of words, the appropriate use of vocabulary and grammar and the ability to recall words from long-term memory. The goal of speaking is to make our ideas and explanations clear and understandable to others. Effective speaking also involves the ability to use language within the social context, for example, being able to tell a joke that is funny or a story that is interesting.

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