In order to understand, enjoy, and think critically and creatively about what we read and write, we must have good speaking and listening skills. This is called "Oral Language".

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We have all had the experience of reading something (especially when we are tired) and then saying to ourselves, "I have no idea what I just read". This is something that children may do when they are learning to read if they do not have the core language, pretend play, and/or visualization skills to allow them to focus on the content of what they are reading rather than only the words.

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While being able to "decode", or "sound out words" is critically important and requires highly trained and knowledgeable teachers, it is not enough.