Literacy is the ability to read and write. These are both essential skills that every child should master. It leads to success in primary and secondary school, post-secondary schooling, the ability to compete in the job market, and participation in the democratic process (Wei, Blackorby, & Schiller, 2011). Learning to read and write, however, is a very complex process that requires understanding both oral and written language. To begin reading, children need a solid understanding of the language they are trying to read. Knowledge of basic grammatical rules and a large vocabulary help children make meaning of what they read. Without this knowledge the words can be seemingly random and the reader has difficulty predicting what an unfamiliar word might be. Having a rich vocabulary, where the reader knows the meaning behind the words, helps in the reading process. Being able to decode a word is only part of the process; a person must understand what the word means to fully understand what is written. While some people may be able to read and pronounce words written in Spanish, that doesn't always mean they can understand what is being read. Teachers should constantly work on building their students' vocabulary. In earlier grades, it is very easy to integrate this since most of the language typically used in school is new vocabulary; sum, difference, characters, title, etc… Children need not only to listen to words but also to use them in the appropriate context. Teaching children new words to describe what they already know can also help them turn a boring sentence into one that helps the audience truly understand what is being said. A sentence such as "I like blue cars", even if technically correct, does not convey as much meaning...... middle of paper.......Lonigan, CJ, Anthony, JL, Phillips, BM, Purpura, D. J. , Wilson, S. B., & McQueen, J. D. (2009). The nature of preschool phonological processing skills and their relationships to vocabulary, general cognitive skills, and print knowledge. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 345-358.McGinty, A. S., & Justice, L. M. (2009, February). Predictors of print knowledge in children with specific language disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51(1), 81-97. Ontario Elementary Teachers' Federation. (2011). ETFO POWER. Retrieved September 7, 2011, from Phonological Processing: http://www.etfo.ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/SpecialEducation/Pages/Phonological%20Processing.aspxWei, X., Blackorby, J., & Schiller, E. (2011) . Growth in reading achievement of students with disabilities aged 7 to 17. Exceptional children, 78(1), 89-106.