If we don't look, we won't see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instruction.

Oral language abilities enable children to learn to read, and they predict future academic achievement and life outcomes. However, children with language impairment frequently go unidentified because schools do not systematically measure oral language development. Given that identification paves the way for treatment, schools should increase attention to oral language development, particularly within response to intervention (RTI) frameworks, which aim to prevent learning disabilities by identifying and intervening at early stages. Formal schooling should address language comprehension (in addition to word reading) to ensure an adequate foundation for future reading comprehension. In support, we overview the developmental relations between oral language abilities and reading skills, review current school-based assessment frameworks, and discuss how these frameworks can include language assessments. Measuring language skills early and often benefits not only those who have language impairment but also all children, as it documents language variability to inform differentiated instruction.

口语能力使儿童能够学习阅读，并且能够预测其未来的学业成就和人生结果。然而，有语言障碍的儿童常常未被发现，因为学校没有系统地衡量口语发展情况。鉴于识别为治疗铺平了道路，学校应该更加关注口语发展，特别是在干预反应（RTI）框架内，该框架旨在通过在早期阶段进行识别和干预来预防学习障碍。正规学校教育应该解决语言理解问题（除了单词阅读之外），以确保为未来的阅读理解奠定足够的基础。作为支持，我们概述了口语能力和阅读技能之间的发展关系，回顾了当前基于学校的评估框架，并讨论了这些框架如何能够纳入语言评估。早期且经常地测量语言技能不仅对有语言障碍的儿童有益，对所有儿童都有益，因为它记录了语言的差异性，为差异化教学提供信息。