June 6, 2022

June 6, 2022

The Importance Of Reading In Language Development

Reading and writing are among the first skills young children are taught on their educational path. Many children learn how to read certain words prior to attending their first year of school through being taught by their parents or even teaching themselves. To say that reading is important for all aspects of life is putting it lightly – without adequate reading skills, so many other skills would fail to develop.

One skill that goes hand-in-hand with reading is language development – i.e. the ability to communicate through spoken words. Typically, infants begin their language development prior to their first birthday; when parents engage with them using sounds and language, children begin to pick up skills and understanding. When a child begins speaking in full sentences and makes their way to school, language development continues to progress, along with reading skills.

When looking at language development and its connection to reading, there’s a huge correlation. The ability to communicate throughout life depends heavily on a person’s reading skills. But what exactly is the importance of reading in language development? Read on for all you need to know.

Does reading improve language?
As mentioned above, reading and language skills go together like milk and cookies! Children who engage with reading, either by being read to or learning to read with their caregivers, are much more likely to experience success when it comes to language development.

Whatever type of reading you choose will be helpful in furthering your child’s ability to speak, communicate, and formulate proper language skills throughout their lifetimes.

How does reading help child language development?
Because language development relies heavily on certain things such as grammar, vocabulary, and writing, these three aspects are tied to reading in positive ways.

Proper grammar isn’t taught too heavily when young children begin their studies, but eventually, they will learn how to formulate sentences in the proper format. Vocabulary is also a huge aspect of language, and reading helps to further a child’s vocabulary extensively. In the early years of a child’s life, their vocabulary is essentially limited to what the people around them say. Then, as they learn how to read, they are exposed to new words in everything they read.

Writing is another vital life skill that can be improved through reading. Seeing words spelled out in front of them can help them learn how to spell themselves, and the more exposure to different stories and styles of writing a child has, the stronger their own writing skills will generally be.

How does reading help communication and language?
When it comes to communication, reading can help a child learn how to speak to others in a way that is both open and clear. Reading different types of stories will help children develop perspectives that they may not have had prior to reading a certain piece of material. It can also increase their mastery of language, in terms of both written and spoken communication.

We can see why this works when looking at the way native English speakers begin to learn a new language. They primarily do it through reading – first recognizing the new words in writing in order to be able to speak them. Through reading, they can see the structure of other languages and learn how to deliver each word, phrase, or sentence correctly in speech.

Why is reading important in language learning?
To sum up: reading is important because it helps a child learn various skills that are required for proper language. Without learning new words, grammar rules, and writing skills, a child will not be able to advance in their language learning. Without the proper language skills, a child will not be able to effectively communicate with others – and without that ability, even the simplest of tasks in life become much more difficult.

Reading is something that every child has the potential to enjoy because there are so many story options for them to get lost in. The only thing a parent needs to do is choose a story or book that will spark their child’s interest and challenge their current language abilities so that they can continuously improve their skills.

 

Featured image by Josh Applegate on Unsplash