Which statement best describes how literacy develops in young children?

Which statement best describes how literacy develops in young children?

• A. It is developed by building on oral language skills, including listening comprehension and spoken language
• B. It relies on decoding alone
• C. It relies on silent reading only
• D. It requires formal schooling only

Answer: (A)

Literacy begins with language. When children hear and use language in rich, varied ways—listening to stories, joining in conversations, and learning new words—they build the vocabulary, syntax, and listening comprehension that support reading and writing later. This language foundation helps them connect sounds to letters, recognize words, and understand meaning when they read. Decoding is important, but it relies on these underlying language skills to make sense of text. Silent reading by itself doesn’t develop literacy because it lacks the interactive, meaning-making experiences that come from talking about books and ideas. Formal schooling can advance literacy, yet it works best when it builds on everyday language experiences rather than replacing them. So literacy develops by building on oral language skills, including listening comprehension and spoken language.

Literacy begins with language. When children hear and use language in rich, varied ways—listening to stories, joining in conversations, and learning new words—they build the vocabulary, syntax, and listening comprehension that support reading and writing later. This language foundation helps them connect sounds to letters, recognize words, and understand meaning when they read. Decoding is important, but it relies on these underlying language skills to make sense of text. Silent reading by itself doesn’t develop literacy because it lacks the interactive, meaning-making experiences that come from talking about books and ideas. Formal schooling can advance literacy, yet it works best when it builds on everyday language experiences rather than replacing them. So literacy develops by building on oral language skills, including listening comprehension and spoken language.