OnDemand: Spotlight on Sentences: Measuring and Supporting Syntax to Improve Reading and Writing

In just a few short years, infants progress from babbling, to first words, to complex sentences like “When I swing, I want Mommy to push me.” These early language skills form the basis for children’s literacy development. Unfortunately, difficulties with language comprehension are difficult to detect; epidemiologic studies indicate that less than half of kindergarten children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have been identified. These language comprehension deficits are associated with weak reading comprehension, even when word reading skills appear to be progressing normally.