How Language Abilities and Deficiencies Impact Language Development 1

Claytonia L. Butler
Grand Canyon University ECH- 515
October 9, 2013

How Language Abilities and Deficiencies Impact Language Development 2

While searching for information on the topic, I found that language abilities and deficiencies does have a major impact in literacy development. Especially in children from birth to third grade when their language skills are developing. Language abilities and deficiencies should be observed when a child is between Birth to 3rd Grade. Children with poor listening and speaking skills are referred to as having language impairment. Children with language impairment that have reading disorders, are usually defined as having poor reading achievement. The two main components of language development that will be discussed in this essay are: Language
Deficiencies and Language Abilities. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word deficiency means: to have a lack of something needed: the state of not having enough of something necessary. In children who exhibit complications involving phonetic understanding and reading deficiencies will most likely have literacy delay and progress in their overall learning. A deficiency in English language skills can cause problems with teachers and other people whom children encounter as they progress through school and later in life. These deficiencies can be a result from complications of the central nervous system such as Dyslexia, English as a Second Language families, Autism, Loss of Hearing, Learning Disabilities and Brain Injuries. While these are categories, some of the problems that could occur with children who have language deficiencies are 1. Have trouble getting their message across (expressive language disorder) and 2. Understanding what is being told to them (receptive language disorder). In the receptive language skills, problems most likely happens before age 4. Some children with language disorders can produce sounds, and the speech can be understood. Children with communication disorders do not perform on grade

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level. They might struggle with reading, have difficulty understanding and expressing language and can show poor judgment. Difficulty in learning to listen, speak, read, write, think and learn can result from problems in language development. Problems can occur in the overall comprehension, and awareness of language sounds, syllables, words, sentences, and conversation. Some children who are diagnosed with receptive language disorder have problems picking up words like other children. They are often called “late talkers”. The word ability is defined as: the power or skill to do something: competence in doing. A child’s language ability can challenge their ability to process phonetics, decode words, comprehend reading and writing, (McCartney, Ellis and Boyle, 2006). Language abilities is important for regulating attention and behavior. It may have evidence for understanding
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorders. Often language skills plays an important role in a child’s academic development. Young children should be able to rhyme, to understand that letters stand for specific sounds, and to detect individual speech sounds, called phonemes in words. They can then recognize and manipulate speech sounds. This skill, which is the foundation of learning to read, has been labeled ‘phonological awareness’ or ‘phonological decoding.’ In children age 0-3, their language acquisition is beginning to develop. A newborn to 3months communicates by crying, cooing and babbling. A 1 to 2 year old seem to understand what is being said. Their vocabulary is at about 50 words. By late two’s, the child will begin using two word sentences. By the time the preschooler reaches the age of 3 to 4, they should be talking in simple sentences. The child may tend to stutter and stumble with words. Also, the child’s vocabulary is at 1200 words. Four to five year olds are starting to understand and use language at higher level. They are able to communicate with others outside the home. They are learning colors and household items. As the child turns 5, he or she develops a large vocabulary consisting of about 2000 to 5000 words.
A 5-year-old's sentence structure is more complex than a 4-year-old's, with longer sentences and fewer grammatical errors. A very important part of school readiness is being able to
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understand and communicate with others. Young children need lots of practice learning and using words to talk about what they see, know and do. They need good language skills to help them organize their thinking. Young children learn how to talk about what is important or interesting to them. They do this by: * Listening to and understanding others and talking with others. * Understanding a wide variety of everyday words. * Listening and paying attention to short stories, songs and rhymes. * Responding to simple questions. * Using words to identify objects. * Describing simple feelings of anger, sadness, happiness and fear
. To incorporate real word examples of language deficiencies and abilities in Literacy
Development, resources such as magazines, newspapers, charts, posters, brochures, and maps. These resources play an important part in literacy development because they: * Provides various types of learning experiences for students who might need different ways to learn. * Real world resources help to broaden and enhance various concepts being developed. * Magazine articles, posters, and maps may help students build background for needed concepts. Activities encourage children to express themselves and their thoughts through pictures,

letters, sound and signs. As children gain practice communicating with words, pictures, and

symbolic actions, they develop the skills they’ll need to communicate through a symbolic system

that represents words and ideas. Computer games can assist in literacy if the preschooler is more

interested in learning interactively. Here downloadable games can be used to enhance language

and literacy skills. Some other real world examples are using field trips to introduce a child to

new things, have speakers such as firemen, policemen and doctors come and explain certain

content of the subject that is to be learned, usage of dramatic play, building blocks and book

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sharing. Creating a shopping list or making a book are great real world examples to aid in

literacy development. Make puppets to act out parts of a play or story not only shows creativity

but allows the child to visualize what is being said. Another good example is role playing. Here

you can allow the child to become the teacher in circle time. In conclusion, when describing and explaining how language abilities and deficiencies impact literacy development it is clear that early literacy recognizes that language, reading, and writing evolve from a number of earlier skills. By focusing on the importance of the first years of life, we give new meaning to the interactions young children have with books and stories. Looking at early literacy development as a dynamic developmental process, we can see that the first three years of exploring and playing with books, singing nursery rhymes, listening to stories, recognizing words, and scribbling are truly the building blocks for language and literacy development. We as parents and educators can enhance literacy with our children by encouraging and reinforcing activities of interests to improve their language skills.

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References

Language abilities in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, reading disabilities, and normal controls. Purvis, Karen L.; Tannock, Rosemary. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol. 25(2), April, 1997. pp. 133-144
Receptive and Expressive Language as Predictors of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ray-Subramanian, Corey E.; Weismer Ellis, Susan. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v42n10 Oct. 2012, pp. 2113-2120.
Enhancing emergent literacy potential in young children. Young, Janelle. Australian Journal of language and literacy. June 2009, Vol 32 issue 2. pp. 163-180, 7 charts
Young children’s engagement with digital texts and literacies in the home: Pressing matters for the teaching of English in the early years of schooling. Davidson, Christina. English Teaching: Practice & Critique. Dec2009, Vol. 8 Issue 3, pp 36-54