How does oral language development relate to early literacy?

• A. It supports vocabulary, syntax, and comprehension across reading and writing
• B. It is unrelated to reading
• C. It only affects speaking
• D. It hinders decoding

Answer: (A)

Oral language development is foundational for early literacy because it builds vocabulary, understanding of how sentences are put together (syntax), and listening comprehension that children carry into reading and writing tasks. When kids know a wide range of words, they can recognize and understand more of what they read, and they have the language needed to express their ideas in writing. Understanding sentence structure helps them parse what they read—figuring out who did what to whom—and also craft clear, grammatical sentences in their own writing. Strong oral language also supports comprehension strategies, like predicting, retelling, and asking questions, which are essential for making meaning from text. So, oral language isn’t just about speaking; it directly supports decoding, understanding, and composing across both reading and writing.