Chapter 11: Social Aspects in Language and Literacy Learning: Progress, Problems, and Interventions

The language development of children at the age of three is a good predictor of reading comprehension at the age of nine (Hart & Risley, 2003). Preschoolers, who as infants and toddlers are brought up in a linguistically deprived environment and who not only hear little spoken language but are also given little feedback to spontaneous attempts at speech, are behind in written language skills at the age of 9-10 years. Evidently once ground has been lost it is not easy to regain. Hart and Risley (2003) speak of “an early catastrophe.” This chapter is aimed at further specification of which sorts of social experience stimulates written language development. In particular we examine the question which early experiences are necessary to buffer children against reading problems at school. Is the risk for reading problems arising at primary school reduced by reading to children in the infant, toddler, and preschooler phase? We take the position that when adult caregivers read books to children, they enter into a cognitive apprenticeship that scaffolds or supports youngsters’ literacy learning. Or to put it differently, social interaction serves as a major force in the growth of children’s literacy competence (Bus, 2001).