This article describes 2 points of view about the relationship between oral-language and literacy skills:
The phonological sensitivity approach posits that vocabulary provides the basis for phonological
sensitivity, which then is the key language ability supporting reading, and the comprehensive language
approach (CLA) posits that varied language skills interact with literacy knowledge and continue to play
a vital role in subsequent reading achievement. The study included 533 Head Start preschool-aged
children (M 4 years 9 months) in 2 locations and examined receptive vocabulary, phonological
awareness, and print knowledge. Partial correlational and regression analyses found results consistent
with the CLA approach and evidence of a core deficit in phonological sensitivity, interpreted in a manner
consistent with the CLA perspective.