Oral Language and Writing Skills in the First Years of Formal Education

Sumner, E ORCID: 0000-0002-9196-7713, Llauradó, A, Cordiner, J, Vettori, G and Dockrell, JE (2026) Oral Language and Writing Skills in the First Years of Formal Education. Scientific Studies of Reading. pp. 1-21. ISSN 1088-8438

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Abstract

Purpose
Research has highlighted the role of children’s oral language skills in the production of written text. Most studies have been cross-sectional, with upper elementary or kindergarten samples. The present study investigated (a) the components of written text production in the first years of school entry; and (b) whether early oral language skills were related to writing quality using a longitudinal design and considering the concurrent role of vocabulary, oral narrative, reading comprehension and transcription skills.

Method
Monolingual English-speaking children (N = 157; 59% female) were first assessed in their first two years of compulsory education in England (Mage months = 63.66, SD = 7.14) on a measure of core oral language (receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar). A school year later, measures of oral narrative skills, reading comprehension, spelling, handwriting fluency and writing were collected. Measures of writing productivity, accuracy, and quality were obtained.

Results
Three dimensions were identified in the writing samples: productivity, spelling, and quality. Spelling ability, vocabulary, and core oral language predicted productivity, while only spelling ability and handwriting fluency predicted spelling in written compositions. GLM mediation analysis revealed that a longitudinal measure of core oral language directly (and indirectly through reading comprehension) related to later writing quality.

Conclusion
The findings demonstrate that early written compositions can be evaluated for productivity, spelling and quality and confirm the importance of early oral language skills in predicting later writing productivity and quality. Uniquely, reading comprehension was found to have a direct and mediating effect on writing quality.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	13 Education; 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences; Education; 39 Education; 47 Language, communication and culture; 52 Psychology
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1139.2 Early childhood education
Divisions:	Education
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Date of acceptance:	24 December 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	10 February 2026
Date Deposited:	10 Feb 2026 16:20
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2026 13:51
DOI or ID number:	10.1080/10888438.2026.2614775
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28078

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