Early Literacy Skills in Preschool Children

BY DR. DEBBIE LOMBARDI, OWNER, COLLEGEVILLE SPEECH AND HEARING

As Speech-Language Pathologists, we provide services for a variety of communication disorders.We have been trained as experts in language development and language disorders for bothchildren and adults. In addressing the language development in children, speech-languagepathologists can be a beneficial team member in the monitoring of emergent literacy skills.Children with language disorders are typically more in danger of developing reading andwriting deficits. Some of the risk factors of a language disorder or problems with early literacyskills include a family history of speech, language, or reading difficulties, chronic middle eardisease, multiple speech sound errors, limited vocabulary use, or comprehension concerns.When evaluating children with speech or language concerns, it is important to also look at earlyliteracy development.

One of the primary areas for early literacy development is phonological awareness. Poor phonological awareness hasbeen linked to poor reading achievement. Phonological awareness is the sound structure of language and is comprisedof various skills. At the most basic level these skills would include segmenting words into syllables, rhyming words, andlearning which words have the same beginning sounds or the same ending sounds. Once children are able to master thebasic level of phonological awareness, the manipulation of words is also a critical early literacy skill. This might includechanging the beginning sound to make a different word or removing an entire syllable of a word to create a new word.Closely related to the area of phonological awareness is the area of phonics. This involves the print letter. Teachingchildren their alphabet letters and the sounds associated with the letter symbols is one way to help improve phonologicalawareness and ultimately reading and writing ability.

There are many components to developing proficient reading and writing skills. It is essential to be aware of thesedeveloping skills in preschool children. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2006) has compiled a list ofactivities to help parents in the development of language and early literacy skills at home.

• Talk to your child and name objects, people, and events in the everyday environment.
• Repeat your child’s strings of sounds (e.g., “dadada, bababa”) and add to them.
• Talk to your child during daily routine activities such as bath or mealtime and respond to his or her questions.
• Draw your child’s attention to print in everyday settings such as traffic signs, store logos, and food containers.
• Introduce new vocabulary words during holidays and special activities such as outings to the zoo, the park and so on.
• Engage your child in singing, rhyming games, and nursery rhymes.
• Read picture and story books that focus on sounds, rhymes, and alliteration (words that start with the same sound, as found in Dr. Seuss books).
• Reread your child’s favorite book(s).
• Focus your child’s attention on books by pointing to words and pictures as your read.
• Provide a variety of materials to encourage drawing and scribbling (e.g. crayons, paper, markers, finger paints).
• Encourage your child to describe or tell a story about his/her drawing and write down the words.

The toddler and preschool years are a critical time for speech and language development. It is important to have childrenevaluated if there are concerns in any area of communication.

At Collegeville Speech and Hearing, we would like to increase community awareness and provide support for thesedeveloping skills. We are available to provide speech and hearing screenings in the office and also in local preschoolcenters. In addition, we offer trainings and presentations to parents and/or teachers in areas of speech, language andearly literacy. Please contact our office for additional information.

Our educated and experienced doctors of audiology and speech-language pathologists are dedicated to providing youwith the highest quality of services in a personalized, caring environment. We are proud to have been serving the speechand hearing needs of Collegeville and the surrounding areas since 1992.