Oral and written communication skills

Why is this important?

A fetus can hear sounds by the time a pregnancy is at six and a half months; babies are familiar with certain voices, sounds and songs from birth
Babies acquire the basics of their mother tongue by the time they are one, before uttering their first word
Vocabulary gaps can be observed in children as young as 18 months; children who are spoken and read to at a lesser rate dispose of, on average, 600 fewer words in their vocabulary at age three

Children’s ability to understand and express themselves through oral language is an important predictor of educational preparedness and school readiness
Early reading and writing skills are also an important predictor of school readiness, in particular in relation to children’s cognitive performance on reading tests in kindergarten
Early reading and writing skills are a predictor of future educational achievement in reading
Children who are spoken to from birth and are exposed to books from the age of one month will have been exposed to 30 million more words than children who, from a very young age, weren’t spoken to very much and didn’t have access to reading

Development of awareness of the written word (knowing that writing exists, that it is useful and natural in one’s environment, making assumptions about written language)
Early constructions and appropriation of written language within one’s family
Early reading skills (understanding a written message) and writing skills (producing a written message)
Implication of all of a child’s reading and writing learning (informally acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes before he or she begins to read in the conventional sense)
The child’s familiarization with the functions of writing and its codes through contextualized and meaningful situations
Development of children’s curiosity for reading and writing and appetite for learning to read and write
Phonological awareness (awareness of and ability to manipulate individual sounds in spoken words)

Introduce early reading and writing programs in daycare and early childhood centres
Organize literacy workshop for parents (less-skilled readers)
Mobilize families and the community to set up literacy, numeracy and educational support activities (increase and enhance literacy practices in families as well as parent-child interactions relating to language and the written word)
Offer parents guidance (build links between schools and families—in particular families from underprivileged or immigrant backgrounds or with at-risk children) in relation to the educational and motivational support they provide to their children (sponsorship, buddy system, parenting skills development course, availability of educational materials, etc.)
Organize community literacy and numeracy activities (parent-child reading circles, reading activities with senior citizens, etc.)
Organize events that serve to promote reading, writing and mathematics (book festival, science challenge, etc.)
Organize reading activities for young children

Ability to act, communicate and express one’s feelings, thoughts and needs
Comprehension of words or instructions before one is able to produce or express them (language comprehension always precedes language production or oral expression)
Production of sounds to form words → Production of words to form sentences → Production of sentences to make conversations
Story-telling skills (children’s ability to talk about themselves or relate their own experiences or read stories in ways that are chronologically organized and well structured)
Development of pre-mathematical skills (before the onset of formal mathematics learning when starting school)
Understanding numbers, quantities and basic concepts of arithmetic (counting, adding, subtracting)
Introduction to mathematics (explorations through game activities that involve concrete or realistic objects)

Develop a public speech therapy service
Maintain continuity between school and the family to ensure favorable learning conditions
Quickly identify children at risk for reading difficulties and promptly follow up with remedial measures in collaboration with the family (pre-school screening and stimulation camps)
Quickly detect any problems with learning motivation and dedication and set up support measures
Organize events that celebrate efforts and achievements
Encourage parents’ involvement in educational achievement during transitions (kindergarten to elementary, elementary to secondary, etc.)