Oral Vocabulary: Its Role in Understanding and Remediating Literacy Disorders

While phonological and decoding processes are rightly emphasised in terms of understanding literacy skill development, the important role played by oral vocabulary in determining success in word level reading and reading comprehension tends to be underestimated.

Introduction
Developing a good oral vocabulary is critical in enabling the child to read accurately and to understand what they have read. Vocabulary knowledge drives phonological awareness which forms the underpinnings of word level reading skill. Vocabulary is also arguably the most important foundation skill for developing good reading comprehension.