Week 1, Entry 3: Oral Language and Reading

For me the relationship between oral language and reading is most evident when I consider the amazing journey of learning for Helen Keller.
Watching the movie, Miracle Worker, you can imagine the pain and frustration young Helen must have experienced when she had no avenue to communicate except through tantrums and fits of rage. Eventually as Annie Sullivan steps in to teach Helen and provide her with a basic means to communicate and express herself through sign language, Helen is able to learn, make sense of her world and ultimately read.
I have tried to imagine if Helen Keller never developed the ability to sign, what an impact it would have made on the rest of her life. I certainly believe it is possible that without sign language, she would never have become a reader.
Researchers have proven that modality of language (either spoken or signed) does not matter, only that children develop a capacity to communicate; and that capacity appears to be innate and implicit. Which in layman's terms to me means we come with all the hardwiring necessary to become literate beings. However our individual experiences, environment and exposure mold our language development and set the stage for who we become as readers.
As teachers, we hold the mold in our hands as we guide and instruct learners to deepen and develop their own awareness of oral language that serves as a bridge into written language.