From Literacy to Language

 Rethinking Teacher Training and Educational Design through the Lens of Developmental Psychology and the Principle of Sowing Seeds 

 Author:
Mr. Shawn K. Chang
Independent Researcher

Department of Education

District Office Teacher
Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA

ABSTRACT

This article examines the foundational role of language development in literacy acquisition and lifelong learning through the metaphor of the sower and the seed. Drawing on developmental psychology and educational research, it identifies critical gaps in teacher training, including insufficient emphasis on oral language development and the marginalization of interactive teaching strategies. Key findings highlight systemic barriers, such as curriculum policies that prioritize literacy assessments over foundational language skills, inequitable resource allocation, and inadequate teacher training programs. Evidence-based strategies, including dialogic teaching to enhance vocabulary and narrative skills, multimodal approaches integrating sensory-rich activities, and role-playing to foster social communication, are presented as practical solutions. The article emphasizes the need for systemic reforms, including integrating content-rich curricula into teacher training programs and reallocating resources to support language acquisition. These reforms are essential to addressing educational inequities and equipping educators to create language-rich environments that support all students, particularly those from

Keywords:

· Language DevelopmentLiteracy Acquisition

· Teacher Training

· Educational Equity

· Developmental Psychology

· Interactive Learning Strategies

· Policy Reform

· Language Acquisition

· Oral Language Development

· Phygital Learning

· Multimodal Learning Strategies

To bridge these gaps, systemic reforms are essential—ensuring that educators are equipped with the tools needed to foster language-rich environments for all students, especially those from linguistically diverse or under-resourced backgrounds.

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