14. The Arc of Vocabulary: Oral Language Links to Comprehension for ... | 2022 Literacy Symposium

Access all of the sessions at https://pattanliteracysymposium22.sched.com/ 14. The Arc of Vocabulary: Oral Language Links to Comprehension for the Classroom Teachers Children often come to school with too little language to support comprehension of what they read. For these children their classroom is the primary place in which they will be given the time and opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills. Teachers who have a deep and intentional understanding and focus on oral language as a significant contributor to reading comprehension can change outcomes for students. In this workshop, we will examine the arc of language development and its impact on reading comprehension. We will start by grounding ourselves in a research base for understanding the contribution language makes to reading comprehension. We will then learn about instructional approaches that address the need for us to enhance oral language for our students. We cannot simply tell children to talk more. We need to create a climate that nurtures oral expression and supports the development of speaking and active listening for students. We will learn and practice highly engaging activities that can make a difference for reading comprehension through planning intentional and meaningful opportunities for speaking and listening throughout the school day. Mother Teresa said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are endless.” We will create a rainbow of language instruction, which will echo in a student’s reading comprehension for the rest of his life.