Universal trends and individual variations in the language development process of the child are described and their relationships to beginning reading instruction are discussed. Child language begins with single word utterances to name things or to express needs and feelings. With a two-word utterance, the child can describe relationships more precisely: he has a "topic" of conversation and a modifying "comment." He begins to use the linguistic conventions of intonation and stress to define meaning. The child then begins to add grammatical structures to his language, and mastering the simpler structures before the more complex. The child is able to make generalizations about the language he hears and is able to form structural descriptions or rules spontaneously. By school age the child possesses a vocabulary of 2,000-3,000 words, and he can generate a variety of types of sentences. His language continues to become more precise and rich. The most important linguistic development from kindergarten on is the acquisition of more and more complete descriptions of relationships within and between sentences. (Examples of child language patterns are given; implications for reading instruction are discussed; and a bibliography is included.) (AL)