Intro
Maybe I’m being politically incorrect in pointing out potential gender differences around language and literacy development, but as a speech pathologist and literacy tutor, I can’t deny that more of my clients were boys compared to girls. Understanding gender differences may help families and educators to develop insights into children who may need additional support with their language and literacy learning skills.
Research
I’m not aiming to provide a comprehensive review of the literature here, although it definitely makes for interesting reading, and some snippets are below:
A study of young children in 2019, supported the notion that boys generally develop vocabulary and word combinations, later than girls. There is further evidence to suggest that the language gap may persist until the age of around 6 years, however, the gap may then dissipate. Yet other studies have found that girls may be equally susceptible to language difficulties in school as boys, however they are less likely to receive intervention or support, as their language difficulties may be masked by gender or behavioural biases, such as girls being viewed as ‘shy’ or ‘more anxious’ than boys.
At the end of the day, what is most important, is supporting our next generation in being successful literacy learners. This is especially critical when there is fairly clear evidence that children experiencing language difficulties are more likely to present with pre-literacy difficulties (76.6% in a cohort of 201 5-year olds), as identified in a recent Australian study.
Support
So how do we best support our young children ‘at risk’ of developing pre-literacy and literacy difficulties? These are just a few of my ideas, taken from my experience over the years as a mother to four sons, and as a paediatric speech pathologist:
Hints and tips
- Start reading to your child as an infant (looking at pictures together, not necessarily reading all the words). Use high-contrast black and white books for very young infants, followed by board book, bath books, and cloth books
- Choose books that you think your child will find funny/interesting/engaging. Better still, encourage your child to choose books to read
- Visit your local library – they are magical places and can open your child’s mind to a million different possibilities
- If your child is an emerging reader, ensure the books they are reading are not too difficult for them. Aim for your child to be able to read 9 out of 10 words without having to sound them out.
- PRAISE your child for all their efforts – nothing like some positive attention to spur on a child’s skill development.
- Take turns reading – one sentence each, one paragraph each, or a page each
- Choose books with rhyme and rhythm
- Books with repetitive text can build your child’s confidence
- Books with illustrations that break up the text can be less daunting than large chunks of text
- Encourage your child to read to a much younger sibling, the pet dog or cat! A willing audience can help your child feel that their reading is making a difference and is important
- Whilst electronic devices can provide a wide variety of educational programs and apps, in my humble opinion, along with play, books are the number one best way of entertaining and educating a child! So take a few books with you wherever you go.
References
Croat Med J. 2019 Apr; 60(2): 141–149
DLD and Me https://dldandme.org/gender-differences-in-language-development-and-disorder/
https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/girls-under-referred-for-language-problems/7896 Aug 2022
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2021 Mar
