Early language development and language learning disabilities.

Case Studies Child 1: The parents of 23-month-old Dale are concerned because their son uses only eight distinct words. Although he can make his wants known to caregivers through gesturing and use of his limited vocabulary, he is becoming frustrated by his parents’ insistence on his use of language and their inability to understand his requests. At mealtimes and throughout the day, Dale is engaged in “conversation” with family members and enjoys making the sounds of a motor as he pushes his trucks along the ground. He enjoys “calling” his older siblings to dinner when asked by his father and generally is well behaved. Child 2: Sarah, a 51⁄2-year-old child who received speech and language services as a preschooler through an Early Childhood Program because of poor language formulation, is struggling to recognize some upper case and most lower case letters of the alphabet. She can identify the sounds of about five letters. After evaluating Sarah at the end of preschool, the speech pathologist did not think language services were necessary. Although she is happy to have her parents and teacher read to her, Sarah is easily distracted and seems uninterested in guided reading books provided by her kindergarten teacher. Her teacher is considering recommending that Sarah not be promoted to first grade. Child 3: Jacob just turned 8 years old and is in third grade. Unlike Dale and Sarah, Jacob has no history of language delays, and there is no family history of language or academic problems. Since kindergarten, Jacob’s teachers have expressed concerns about his progress in reading development, but everyone thought he would “catch up.” He worked with a reading specialist at school during first and second grade, but continues to struggle with languagebased learning in general (eg, reading, spelling, and written expression). His teacher reports that Jacob struggles to sound words out and feels that if he was more effective at decoding words, comprehension of what he reads may be adequate. Each child in these scenarios shares a common theme—developmental features that place them at risk of developing a reading disability (RD). Considerable evidence suggests that reading is influenced strongly by early language factors. Language and learning problems are among the most common neurodevelopmental disorders seen by primary care physicians. Familiarity with these conditions assists in early recognition and evaluation of children at risk for learning disorders. This article reviews the early developmental progression of language and reading, including prereading language skills, and introduces concepts prevalent in the fields of psychology and education.