Entry #3 Comment on the relationship between oral language and the reading process.

The reading process is a process in which a reader goes through to make meaning of a particular text. This process includes several prereading activities/strategies, during reading activities/strategies, and responsive activities/strategies that occur after reading. Prereading activities can include things like taking picture walks, making predictions, thinking about what you already know about the topic, asking questions, etc. The prereading activities activate background knowledge and prepare the reader to make meaning. The during reading activities can include things like word decoding strategies such as using context clues, checking for understanding, or confirming and adjusting predictions. The during reading activities help the reader monitor their understandings and fix them up when meaning is lost. The responsive or after reading activities are strategies to help the reader culminate their reading experience and solidify or synthesize their understandings of the text.

This process is similar to what a person must do when they are communicating orally. In order to make meaning of oral language one must tune into other aspects as well to fully gain meaning of the speaker. They might tune in to body language, tone, facial expressions, and even the context in which the conversation is taking place. The listener must use these other signals to pick up on the overall message the speaker is trying to convey. In addition, the listener may even need to ask clarifying questions before they can comprehend the speaker.

It is evident that through both oral and written communication, meaning must be made of the message being conveyed and several other aspects are taken into consideration in order for that to happen. With that being said it is only natural that oral language and reading would go hand in hand. In order for one to make meaning of text they must have some level of understanding of the language being read. And at the same time reading in itself can actually help develop one’s oral language ability.