Language's vanishing act in early literacy education. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hruby, George G.
• Is Part Of: Phi Delta Kappan. Volume 101:Number 5(2020)
• Page Start: 19
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: literacy -- reading -- instruction -- phonics -- decoding -- comprehension -- knowledge -- elementary education -- equity; Education -- United States -- Periodicals; Greek letter societies -- Periodicals; Onderwijs; Éducation -- Périodiques; Associations désignées par des lettres grecques -- Périodiques; Éducation; Enseignement; Pédagogie; Politique éducative; Recherche en éducation; Réforme du système éducatif; Services aux élèves; Système éducatif; États-Unis; Étude comparée (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 371.0097305
• DOI: 10.1177/0031721720903823
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-7217

Abstract

Current conversations about children's literacy have focused on the need for more phonics and decoding instruction and have sidelined the importance of children's language development, argues George Hruby. Language development involves more than the ability to decode written language. The ability to understand the meaning of those words is also important, and poor outcomes on reading assessments are not necessarily evidence of poor decoding skills. Hruby posits that comprehension follows a recursive trajectory that he calls ELIK in which students' linguistic environment affects their language abilities which affects their intellectual growth, which affects their knowledge. Against this backdrop, a lack of attention to linguistic environment is an issue of equity, with children who grow up in less literacy-rich environments coming into school at a disadvantage .