Connecting Language to Literacy

How SLPs Support Reading Skills

Spoken language (the way we communicate, understand, and use words) forms the foundation of literacy. By supporting skills such as vocabulary, phonological awareness (recognizing and manipulating sounds/letters), comprehension, and motivation, SLPs can help children build the tools they need for reading and writing.

SLPs do not replace teachers. Instead, we work alongside educators and families to strengthen the language and communication skills that support reading and writing development.

What can we work on?

1. Phonological Awareness: This involves recognizing and playing with the sounds and patterns in words and sentences. Skills include: identifying rhymes, counting words in a sentence, clapping syllables, and noticing individual sounds in words. Strong phonological awareness is one of the best predictors of reading success (Chard & Dickson, 2025). SLPs can help build phonological awareness through engaging, play-based activities.

   
   

2. Vocabulary: A strong vocabulary supports reading comprehension and overall language understanding. SLPs help children learn new words, explore their meanings, and use them in conversation (Reading Rockets, 2025).

   
   

3. Decoding (Sound-Letter Matching): Decoding is the mental process of matching written letters to the sounds they represent - aka 'sounding things out'. While teachers provide direct reading instruction, SLPs support decoding through phonological awareness and helping children link speech sounds to letters.

   
   

4. Reading Comprehension: Comprehension is understanding and interpreting what you read. SLPs teach strategies such as predicting, sequencing, making inferences, asking questions, and summarizing to help children build a deeper understanding of text (Farrell, Hunter, Davidson, & Osenga, n.d.).

   
   

5. Motivation: Motivation is a key factor in reading success. By selecting materials that match children’s interests, celebrating their progress, and creating positive reading experiences, SLPs help children feel confident and capable as readers (Gambrell & Marinak, n.d.).

Practical strategies, structured practice, and 1:1 encouragement can make learning to read and write both manageable and fun!

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Literacy Support at Beyond Speech Services

If your child is struggling with reading, a speech-language pathologist can help!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at info@beyondspeech.ca 

OR book a free 15 minute consultation with one of our SLPs.

References:

Chard, D. J., & Dickson, S. V. (1999, May). Phonological awareness: Instructional and assessment guidelines. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/phonological-and-phonemic-awareness/articles/phonological-awareness-instructional-and

Soifer, L. H. (2018). The development of oral language and its relationship to literacy. In J. R. Birsh & S. Carreker (Eds.), Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (4th ed). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Farrell, L., Hunter, M., Davidson, M., & Osenga, T. (n.d.). The simple view of reading. Reading Rockets. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/about-reading/articles/simple-view-reading

Gambrell, L. B., & Marinak, B. A. (n.d.). Reading motivation: What the research says. Reading Rockets. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/motivation/articles/reading-motivation-what-research-says

Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Basics: Vocabulary. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/reading-and-writing-basics/vocabulary