#41: How to Support Early Literacy Through Speech and Language Development with Rita Shamoun
As teachers, we often focus on phonics and decoding strategies when teaching early literacy. But what if the foundation for reading success starts long before a child ever picks up a book? Speech and language development play a critical role in literacy, and understanding this connection can help us better support our young learners.
In this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Rita Shamoun, a pediatric speech pathologist, who explained how speech and language development directly impact literacy skills and what teachers can do to help students who may struggle in this area.
The Link Between Speech Development and Reading Challenges
Language vs. Speech – What’s the Difference?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that speech and language are the same thing. While they are related, they focus on different skills:
- Language refers to comprehension (receptive language) and expression (expressive language). A child with language difficulties may struggle to understand or use words correctly.
- Speech focuses on pronunciation and sound production. A child with speech delays may mispronounce sounds or have difficulty articulating words.
Children who struggle with language development often find it difficult to build vocabulary, follow directions, or comprehend stories—leading to difficulties with reading comprehension later on. Similarly, those with speech difficulties may have trouble with phonemic awareness, a key component of learning to read.
Early Signs That a Student May Need Additional Support
As educators, we can spot potential challenges by paying attention to the following signs:
- Students who are hard to understand due to sound substitutions (e.g., saying “wed” instead of “red”).
- Frequent misunderstandings of verbal instructions.
- Limited vocabulary or difficulty forming complete sentences.
- Struggles with rhyming, syllable segmentation, or phoneme manipulation.
- Difficulty remembering or recalling words when speaking.
Identifying these signs early can help ensure that children receive the interventions they need before literacy struggles become more pronounced.
Strategies for Supporting Early Literacy Through Speech and Language Development
1. Use Multi-Sensory Learning
Children benefit from seeing, hearing, and physically engaging with words. Try:
- Gestures & Movements: Use hand signals to represent different sounds or actions.
- Picture Cards: Reinforce vocabulary with images that match key words.
- Tactile Tools: Use Play-Doh or letter tiles to form words and practice sound segmentation.
2. Encourage Oral Language Development
Engaging children in meaningful conversations builds their expressive and receptive language skills. Try:
- Asking open-ended questions instead of yes/no questions.
- Expanding on what children say by modeling full sentences.
- Using storytelling activities where children retell a story in their own words.
3. Focus on Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. Activities to support this include:
- Clapping out syllables in words.
- Playing “I Spy” with beginning sounds (e.g., “I spy something that starts with /s/”).
- Blending and segmenting sounds in words (e.g., “c-a-t” → “cat”).
4. Simplify and Scaffold Instructions
For students who struggle with receptive language, break instructions into shorter, more manageable steps. Use:
- Visual cues (e.g., pointing to objects while giving directions).
- Repetition and rephrasing to reinforce understanding.
- Modeling to show what’s expected before asking a student to complete a task.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
How to foster strong oral language skills to improve reading outcomes.
How speech and language development impact literacy.
The difference between speech and language disorders.
Early warning signs of language and speech delays.
Classroom strategies to support students with communication challenges.
Bringing It All Together
Early literacy success starts with strong speech and language skills. As teachers, we have the power to bridge the gap between oral language development and reading proficiency. By implementing multi-sensory techniques, targeted interventions, and language-rich activities, we can create confident, capable readers in our classrooms.
But you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. The Science of Reading Formula provides expert guidance, research-backed strategies, and ready-to-use resources to help you unlock reading success for every child—without the guesswork.
👉 Join The Science of Reading Formula today! Click here to enroll and start transforming your literacy instruction.
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