Literacy Language Development

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Literacy Development
Literacy learning and language acquisition are vital to young children’s cognitive and social development. For all students, a sturdy and solid early education is perilous to ensuring their long-term academic success. Academic success, as defined by high school graduation, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the end of grade 3. Improving reading programs in early childhood and primary classrooms is the key to making sure that all students read on grade level by the third grade. For young learners of English who are speakers of other languages (ESOL), the challenges of literacy and language development are different if they are learning in an all-English environment where they …show more content…

Successful early childhood programs acknowledge and build upon this prior knowledge. Wherever possible, young
ESOL learners should receive their initial reading instruction in their native language. Research on second language development has shown that literacy in a second language is supported by literacy in the native language. Language and literacy knowledge in one language can serve as the foundation for a new language (Cummins, 1991; Paez & Rinaldi, 2006; Proctor, August, Carlo, & Snow, 2006).
Moreover, use of the native language builds a connection between the home and school. ESOL students’ families should be encouraged to read and talk to their children in the family’s native language if this is their strongest language. Families should be encouraged to develop literacy in the native language even when schools are not able to provide it, keeping in mind that not all families have had formal schooling opportunities. ESOL students’ interaction with their families in their native language will give them the richest possible language foundation, advancing the learning

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