Oral language and literacy
Speaking, reading and writing are vital for communicating, learning, participating and socialising. Exposure in infancy to talking, reading and singing lays the foundation for life.
Literacy is the ability to read and write. A child’s literacy level affects their opportunities for education, employment, income and wellbeing.
The early home learning environment makes a difference in children’s later academic and literacy success. Reading with children from birth to five years is probably the single most important activity people can do to enhance their child’s future ability to read and write.
Literacy is strongly influenced by language development. Children communicate with sounds and vocalisations from birth. The most intensive period for speech and language development is during the first three years of life when the brain is developing and maturing. Child language is core to the health of nations.
Who does it affect?
Who does it affect?
- One in five children are slow to talk and 20 per cent under five have difficulties understanding what is said to them and/or expressing themselves.
- In 2012, almost half (46 per cent) of Australians over 15 lacked the literacy skills they needed to meet the demands of everyday life and work.
- 22 per cent of five-year-olds started school behind in Australia in 2012 and were poorly equipped to benefit from learning opportunities.
- Australia’s primary school children were among the worst performed internationally in literacy in 2012. Grade four students ranked 27th out of 45 countries in reading. By 2016 they’d improved to 21 out of 50.
Our oral language and literacy research
Our oral language and literacy research
The Translational Centre for Speech Disorders based at Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) is an international collaboration between child speech and language experts. It uses the latest genetic approaches to investigate factors that affect and improve child language and development.
The Early Language in Victoria Study aims to learn more about how language develops from infancy to adolescence. Findings will help our researchers develop new interventions. More than 1,900 babies were enrolled in 2003 and follow-up continues.
We’re studying Aboriginal children’s language development and use of oral English language in early primary school.
We’re investigating brain pathways that support language development in children with and without hearing impairment.
Our Building Better Readers Trial is comparing the MiniLit program, which targets children in the bottom 25 per cent of readers at the start of grade one, with usual teaching methods to see if MiniLit improves literacy skills.
Play Learn Grow is a free program where Victorian parents/carers of children aged two to three receive text messages with advice and activities covering reading, playing and talking to support learning and development. Our parent consultations are testing whether messages are relevant, actionable and accessible.
One in five Australian children start school with a speech or language disorder. Our Speech and Language group studies how speech, language and literacy develop and how disorders occur. It aims to develop interventions for speech and language difficulties.
Impacts of our research
Impacts of our research
- We’re the force behind the national Let’s Read campaign, which was delivered to more than 200,000 children and encourages Australian parents to read to their children from birth to five years.
- Our Early Language in Victoria Study has advanced understanding of language, stuttering, genes and language development, multilingual development, speech sound disorders, links between memory and language, and autism. It found one in five children are late talkers but most catch up by age four.
- Studying 200 videos of parents and toddlers found talking about what your child’s playing with and following their lead in conversation helps them learn language.
- We found that culturally adapted early childhood programs for Aboriginal children improve language, increase talking and boost reading interest.
- We found children who attend preschool have better literacy and numeracy skills and toddlers whose fathers read to them have better language development.
- We found one-third of Australian children experience disadvantage and 41 per cent of them are in the bottom 15 per cent of NAPLAN literacy and numeracy scores. One in five grade three boys has an emotional or behavioural problem, lagging academically 12 months behind their peers in reading and numeracy.
- Another study of 42,619 children found one in five start school with health and developmental needs including speech and language difficulties. By grade three, they’re nine months behind with poorer literacy and numeracy results. Heavy TV and computer use impact reading and numeracy.
Our vision
Our vision
Our goal is for every child to have the opportunity to achieve their best possible literacy level and language development. We’ll keep investigating incidence, barriers and causes, pushing for ways to boost optimal reading, writing and speaking. Achieving this will set the foundation for better lives for generations of children.
Get the latest information
Program for Aboriginal kids shows promising impacts on language and development skills
A culturally adapted early childhood program for Aboriginal children has shown promising impacts...
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Health and developmental needs at the outset of schooling predict poorer NAPLAN results in Grade 3
One in five children starts school with emerging health and developmental needs identified by...
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Mental health of five year olds linked to their ability to learn
MCRI researchers have analysed teacher-reported data for more than 302,000 Australian children...
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