Running Head: PART 2 POWER OF LANGUAGE 1

The Power of Language – Part 2

Shawn Meusborn

LAPU – ENGL 420

Spring 2024
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Skills sets of the 21st century required of students are: critical thinking, creativity,

collaboration and communication. These skills are known as the “4c’s” and work together

providing the competences students need to succeed in a wide range of situations (Hummel,

n.d.). To become successful in the 4c’s students must first master language skills which begin in

infancy and continue throughout their lifetime. These skills include the five subsets of language:

phonology, semantics, pragmatics, morphology, and syntax. As a child progresses through life

these skills will develop allowing for long-term success and appreciation of language.

Language is a critical skill for well-educated children of the future because everything in

life revolves around the ability to communicate. Within the communication realm both verbal

and written skills are required. To develop these skills, children need to progress through a

learning cycle starting as an infant with listening and speech sounds. Next, the foundational

concepts of print and phonemic awareness are developed as the child is exposed to books thus

learning letters and numbers. The child proceeds to decoding and word recognition skills as they

enter first and second grade. Language fluency is obtained whereby the child no longer needs to

sound out words and can synthesis phonemic awareness automatically. Lastly, the child builds

vocabulary skills which lead to improved comprehension. The ultimate goal of this progression

is for children to master language skills, including writing and reading. As the child continues

their education, a lifelong learning for the appreciation and love of language should develop.

Teachers play a vital role in developing students language and literacy skills. As a first-

grade teacher, a large portion of the foundational language concepts are taught in this grade. First

grade teachers focus significant time on instructing phoneme, sounds, segmenting, blending,

letter recognition and beginning reading. These are all necessary language skills for students to

succeed not only within the classroom but also outside of the classroom. Instructions that
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encourage students to embrace language skills, especially those that are English learners, will

further provide confidence needed for literacy development. Students need language skills to be

successful in the real world and within the academic setting. Teachers are the foundation needed

to engage students in different activities while managing the wide range of skill levels.

Strategies to promote language skills development and literacy in my first-grade

classroom would include: a compelling classroom library, book talks, journal writing, and

language skill teaching. Children can develop a love of books and reading if they are provided

the resources they need, and a well-stocked classroom library can provide this outlet. Students

should be provided with frequent opportunities to browse the library and explore books. A

student may not be able to read a book, but having the opportunity to turn the pages and take in

the visual images and written words is impactful. This can lead to a child’s increased desire to

further improve their language skills. Books talks are another strategy to build language skills.

The beauty of book talks is that they create curiosity and excitement because only a portion of

the book is shared with students. Usually, the teacher shares the book in the talk, however roles

can be reserved, and a student can give the talk. Book talks are a great way to promote literacy

and build a community of readers (Lynne, 2023). Journal writing is also an important strategy to

promote language skill development. Students should be given several opportunities a week to

write in their journals, thus learning how to express themselves and develop grammar skills.

Lastly, language skill teaching is very important for first-grade students and can be accomplished

with a variety of methods and resources such as printables, group activities and individually. To

develop these language skills, activities that I can incorporate into the classroom include reading

aloud different types of books, singing songs, alpha and numeric flash cards and asking students

critical thinking skills as I teach to check on comprehension.

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Teachers have an ethical responsibility to teach students language study skills to ensure

they are prepared for the 21st century and the realities of life. The consequences of teaching

language skills ensure students are prepared for careers and college level curriculum, thus giving

them foundational skills as they enter adulthood. Having language skills allows students to

actively participate in class discussions, think critically, share ideas, and express themselves

verbally and in written form (How to prepare students for success, 2022). With proper language

instruction from teachers, students should develop a long-term enjoyment for language study that

includes reading, writing and communication.

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References
How to prepare students for success. (2022). Retrieved: https://www.schoolcues.com/blog/how-
to-prepare-students-for-success/
Hummel, B. (n.d.). What are the 4C’s of the 21 st century skills? Retrieved:
https://www.icevonline.com/blog/four-cs-21st-century-skills
Lynne, J. (2023). The power of book talks. Retrieved:
https://musingsfromthemiddleschool.org/2023/04/the-power-of-book-talks-how-to-
inspire-a-love-of-reading-in-students.html