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Ferjan Ramírez N, Marjanovič Umek L, Fekonja U. Language environment and early language production in Slovenian infants: An exploratory study using daylong recordings. INFANCY 2024; 29:811-837. [PMID: 39044327 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Daylong recordings provide an ecologically valid option for analyzing language input, and have become a central method for studying child language development. However, the vast majority of this work has been conducted in North America. We harnessed a unique collection of daylong recordings from Slovenian infants (age: 16-30 months, N = 40, 18 girls), and focus our attention on manually annotated measures of parentese (infant-directed speech with a higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation), conversational turns, infant words, and word combinations. Measures from daylong recordings showed large variation, but were comparable to previous studies with North American samples. Infants heard almost twice as much speech and parentese from mothers compared to fathers, but there were no differences in language input to boys and girls. Positive associations were found between the social-interactional features of language input (parentese, turn-taking) and infants' concurrent language production. Measures of child speech from daylong recordings were positively correlated with measures obtained through the Slovenian MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. These results support the notion that the social-interactional features of parental language input are the foundation of infants' language skills, even in an environment where infants spend much of their waking hours in childcare settings, as they do in Slovenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Urška Fekonja
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Chaparro-Moreno LJ, Villasanti HG, Justice LM, Sun J, Schmitt MB. Accuracy of Automatic Processing of Speech-Language Pathologist and Child Talk During School-Based Therapy Sessions. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:2669-2684. [PMID: 39018260 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examines the accuracy of Interaction Detection in Early Childhood Settings (IDEAS), a program that automatically transcribes audio files and estimates linguistic units relevant to speech-language therapy, including part-of-speech units that represent features of language complexity, such as adjectives and coordinating conjunctions. METHOD Forty-five video-recorded speech-language therapy sessions involving 27 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 56 children were used. The F measure determines the accuracy of IDEAS diarization (i.e., speech segmentation and speaker classification). Two additional evaluation metrics, namely, median absolute relative error and correlation, indicate the accuracy of IDEAS for the estimation of linguistic units as compared with two conditions, namely, Oracle (manual diarization) and Voice Type Classifier (existing diarizer with acceptable accuracy). RESULTS The high F measure for SLP talk data suggests high accuracy of IDEAS diarization for SLP talk but less so for child talk. These differences are reflected in the accuracy of IDEAS linguistic unit estimates. IDEAS median absolute relative error and correlation values for nine of the 10 SLP linguistic unit estimates meet the accuracy criteria, but none of the child linguistic unit estimates meet these criteria. The type of linguistic units also affects IDEAS accuracy. CONCLUSIONS IDEAS was tailored to educational settings to automatically convert audio recordings into text and to provide linguistic unit estimates in speech-language therapy sessions and classroom settings. Although not perfect, IDEAS is reliable in automatically capturing and returning linguistic units, especially in SLP talk, that are relevant in research and practice. The tool offers a way to automatically measure SLP talk in clinical settings, which will support research seeking to understand how SLP talk influences children's language growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura M Justice
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Jing Sun
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Mary Beth Schmitt
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin
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Miller EB, Canfield CF, Roby E, Wippick H, Shaw DS, Mendelsohn AL, Morris-Perez PA. Enhancing early language and literacy skills for racial/ethnic minority children with low incomes through a randomized clinical trial: The mediating role of cognitively stimulating parent-child interactions. Child Dev 2024; 95:1172-1185. [PMID: 38153204 PMCID: PMC11211242 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Parenting is a critical mediator of children's school readiness. In line with this theory of change, data from the randomized clinical trial of Smart Beginnings (tiered Video Interaction Project and Family Check-Up; N = 403, treatment arm n = 201) were used to examine treatment impacts on early language and literacy skills at child age 4 years (nLatinx = 168, nBlack = 198, nMale = 203), as well as indirect impacts through parental support of cognitive stimulation at child age 2 years. Although results did not reveal direct effects on children's early skills, there were significant indirect effects for early literacy (β = .03, p = .05) and early language (β = .04, p = .04) via improvements in parental cognitive stimulation. Implications for interventions targeting parenting to improve children's school readiness beginning at birth are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erin Roby
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Daniel S Shaw
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Gibbard D, Roulstone S, Kandala Shadrack NI, Morgan L, Harding S, Smith C, Markham C. A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of parent-based models of language intervention for 2- to 3-year-old children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in areas of social disadvantage. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2024; 59:1517-1537. [PMID: 38285603 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early language delay is exacerbated by social disadvantage. Factors such as parents' low levels of literacy, confidence and self-perception can affect the capacity to act on advice received, critical to empowerment. Methods used to achieve successful health outcomes in socially disadvantaged clinical populations may need enhancing. AIMS To compare the impact of standard parent-based intervention (PBI) to enhanced PBI for young children with speech, language and communication needs (SCLN) and their families living in more socially disadvantaged populations. METHODS AND PROCEDURES A multicentre clustered blind randomised controlled trial was used to compare the effect of parent-based group interventions to improve early language development with children (mean age 27.5 months) from more socially disadvantaged populations with an expressive vocabulary of 40 or less single words. Intervention sessions were delivered by a speech and language therapist, over a 20-week period. Participants received one of two interventions: (1) Standard Care - indirect group PBI - (PBI) (2) Enhanced Care: indirect group enhanced PBI - (EPBI). Both standardised and non-standardised measures were used as outcomes. Parent engagement in the intervention was captured through analysis of attendance and the Parent Activation Measure - Speech & Language Therapy (PAM-SLT) (Insignia Health, 2014). The PAM measures a person's knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health and well-being (NHS England, 2018). In this study, activation referred to parents' knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their child's language development. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS One hundred fifty-five participants were randomised at baseline. Children in both groups made significant improvements in the outcome on MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories Sentence Length, from pre-intervention to post-intervention and 6 months post-intervention (p < 0.05). Changes in vocabulary and expressive language skills were more equivocal, showing wide variation in confidence intervals for both groups. Where parents attended at least one intervention session almost all effect sizes were in favour of the EPBI intervention. Parents' activation levels significantly increased for both groups (EPBI p < 0.001, PBI p = 0.003), with a moderate effect size in favour of EPBI (Hedges' G 0.37, confidence interval -0.02 to 0.76), although wide variation was found. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This trial provides some evidence of facilitating the language development of children with SLCN from more socially disadvantaged areas through supporting caregivers. However, we found variation in outcomes; some children made excellent progress, whilst others did not. Further exploration of parent engagement and its relationship to child language outcomes will be valuable to understanding more about mechanisms of change in interventions that involve parents. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have a knock-on effect on emotional well-being, school readiness, literacy and school attainment, putting children at increased risk of long-term consequences such as poor literacy, mental health problems and unemployment. In disadvantaged areas, the prevalence of language difficulties is higher than elsewhere. Factors such as parents' low levels of literacy, confidence and self-perception can affect the capacity to act on advice received, critical to empowerment. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Children with SLCN from more socially disadvantaged areas can make improvements in their language development through parent intervention, although wide individual variation was found. There was some evidence that children achieve better outcomes with EPBI, which employed an interagency collaborative approach. Parent's engagement (activation levels) increased significantly over time with intervention, with the increase twice as big for EPBI. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This trial provides some evidence that it is possible to facilitate the language development of children from more socially disadvantaged areas through supporting their caregivers. Further research would be useful to determine whether increases in parent engagement are related to adherence to intervention and change in child outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sue Roulstone
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of West of England, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Lydia Morgan
- Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit, Bristol, UK
| | - Sam Harding
- Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit, Bristol, UK
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Foushee R, Srinivasan M. Infants who are rarely spoken to nevertheless understand many words. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311425121. [PMID: 38814865 PMCID: PMC11161804 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311425121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Theories of language development-informed largely by studies of Western, middleclass infants-have highlighted the language that caregivers direct to children as a key driver of language learning. However, some have argued that language development unfolds similarly across environmental contexts, including those in which childdirected language is scarce. This raises the possibility that children are able to learn from other sources of language in their environments, particularly the language directed to others in their environment. We explore this hypothesis with infants in an indigenous Tseltal-speaking community in Southern Mexico who are rarely spoken to, yet have the opportunity to overhear a great deal of other-directed language by virtue of being carried on their mothers' backs. Adapting a previously established gaze-tracking method for detecting early word knowledge to our field setting, we find that Tseltal infants exhibit implicit knowledge of common nouns (Exp. 1), analogous to their US peers who are frequently spoken to. Moreover, they exhibit comprehension of Tseltal honorific terms that are exclusively used to greet adults in the community (Exp. 2), representing language that could only have been learned through overhearing. In so doing, Tseltal infants demonstrate an ability to discriminate words with similar meanings and perceptually similar referents at an earlier age than has been shown among Western children. Together, these results suggest that for some infants, learning from overhearing may be an important path toward developing language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruthe Foushee
- Department of Psychology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY10011
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94705
| | - Mahesh Srinivasan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94705
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Kucker SC, Schneider JM. Social interactions offset the detrimental effects of digital media use on children's vocabulary. FRONTIERS IN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:1401736. [PMID: 38948495 PMCID: PMC11213284 DOI: 10.3389/fdpys.2024.1401736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Young children's rapid vocabulary growth during the first few years is supported by input during social interactions with caregivers and, increasingly, from digital media. However, the amount of exposure to both sources can vary substantially across socioeconomic classes, and little is known about how social interactions and digital media use together predict vocabulary in the first few years of life. The current study takes a first step toward examining whether increased social interactions with other individuals may buffer the potentially detrimental effects of digital media use on language among a socioeconomically diverse sample. 305 caregivers of children between 17 and 30-months completed questionnaires about their family demographics, their child's technology use, and the child's daily routines and social interactions. Findings suggest children who experience fewer human interactions and greater technology exposure have smaller vocabularies than their peers who socialize more and use less technology, and this disparity becomes greater as children get older. Moreover, the number of social interactions moderates the link between SES, digital media, and vocabulary such that the negative impact of digital media on vocabulary for children from low SES households can be offset with increased social interactions. Together, this suggests that increasing the amount of human interactions may serve as a protective factor for vocabulary outcomes in a world where digital media use is prominent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Kucker
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Julie M. Schneider
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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Ha S. The Predictability of Naturalistic Evaluation of All-Day Recordings for Speech and Language Development. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:1370-1384. [PMID: 38619435 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The study aimed to investigate the predictive potential of language environment and vocal development status measures obtained through integrated analysis of Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) recordings during the prelinguistic stage for subsequent speech and language development in Korean-acquiring children. Specifically, this study explored whether measures from both LENA-automated analysis and human coding at 6-8 months and 12-14 months of age predict vocabulary and phonological development at 18-20 months. METHOD One-day home recordings from 20 children were collected using a LENA recorder at 6-8 months, 12-14 months, and 18-20 months. Both LENA-automated measures and measures from human coding were obtained from recordings at 6-8 months and 12-14 months. The number of different words, consonant inventory, and utterance structure inventory were identified from recordings of 18-20 months. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate whether measures related to early language environment and child vocalization at 6-8 months and 12-14 months were predictive of vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. RESULTS The results showed that the two main LENA-automated measures, conversational turn count (CTC) and child vocalization count, were positively correlated with all vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. Multiple regression analysis revealed that CTC during the prelinguistic stages was the most significant predictor of a number of different words, consonant inventory, and utterance structure inventory at 18-20 months. Also, adult word count in LENA-automated measures, child-directed speech ratio, and canonical babbling ratio measured by human coding significantly predicted some vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. CONCLUSION This study highlights the multifaceted nature of language acquisition and collectively emphasizes the value of considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects of language input to understand early language development in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghee Ha
- Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea
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8
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Figueroa M. Language development, linguistic input, and linguistic racism. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1673. [PMID: 38297101 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Language development is both remarkable and unremarkable. It is remarkable because children learn the language(s) around them, signed or spoken, without explicit instruction or correction. It is unremarkable because children have done this for thousands of years without worldwide incident or catastrophe. Yet, much research on this organic developmental phenomenon relies on an empirical falsehood: "quality" linguistic input is necessary to facilitate language development. "Quality" is a value judgment, not a structural feature of any human language. I argue selectively legitimizing some linguistic input as "quality" is possible only through mischaracterizing what language is. This falsehood is also linguistic racism because it is based on a deficit perspective of the early linguistic experiences of a subset of children, specifically racialized children. I explore how linguistic racism stalls our collective understanding of language development and promotes an environment of bad science. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language Neuroscience > Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Figueroa
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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9
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Perkins SC, Shaun Ho S, Evans GW, Liberzon I, Gopang M, Swain JE. Language processing following childhood poverty: Evidence for disrupted neural networks. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 252:105414. [PMID: 38640643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Childhood poverty is related to deficits in multiple cognitive domains including adult language function. It is unknown if the brain basis of language is disrupted in adults with childhood poverty backgrounds, controlling for current functioning. Fifty-one adults (age 24) from an existing longitudinal study of childhood poverty, beginning at age 9, were examined on behavioral phonological awareness (LP) and completed an event-related fMRI speech/print processing LP task. Adults from childhood poverty backgrounds exhibited lower LP in adulthood. The middle-income group exhibited greater activation of the bilateral IFG and hippocampus during language processing. In psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses, the childhood poverty group exhibited greater coupling between ventral Broca's and the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) as well as coupling between Wernicke's region and bilateralization. Childhood poverty disrupts language processing neural networks in adulthood, after controlling for LP, suggesting that poverty in childhood influences the neurophysiological basis for language processing into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C Perkins
- Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, United States.
| | - S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8434, United States
| | - Gary W Evans
- Departments of Human Centered Design and Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401, United States
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77802, United States
| | - Meroona Gopang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8434, United States; Program in Public Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8434, United States
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8434, United States; Psychology, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Medicine, Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8434, United States
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La Valle C, Shen L, Butler LK, Tager-Flusberg H. Are minimally verbal autistic children's modality and form of communication associated with parent responsivity? Autism Res 2024; 17:989-1000. [PMID: 38690644 PMCID: PMC11247963 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Prior work examined how minimally verbal (MV) children with autism used their gestural communication during social interactions. However, interactions are exchanges between social partners. Examining parent-child social interactions is critically important given the influence of parent responsivity on children's communicative development. Specifically, parent responses that are semantically contingent to the child's communication plays an important role in further shaping children's language learning. This study examines whether MV autistic children's (N = 47; 48-95 months; 10 females) modality and form of communication are associated with parent responsivity during an in-home parent-child interaction (PCI). The PCI was collected using natural language sampling methods and coded for child modality and form of communication and parent responses. Findings from Kruskal-Wallis H tests revealed that there was no significant difference in parent semantically contingent responses based on child communication modality (spoken language, gesture, gesture-speech combinations, and AAC) and form of communication (precise vs. imprecise). Findings highlight the importance of examining multiple modalities and forms of communication in MV children with autism to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of their communication abilities; and underscore the inclusion of interactionist models of communication to examine children's input on parent responses in further shaping language learning experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea La Valle
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lue Shen
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lindsay K Butler
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Bosseler AN, Meltzoff AN, Bierer S, Huber E, Mizrahi JC, Larson E, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Taulu S, Kuhl PK. Infants' brain responses to social interaction predict future language growth. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1731-1738.e3. [PMID: 38593800 PMCID: PMC11090161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In face-to-face interactions with infants, human adults exhibit a species-specific communicative signal. Adults present a distinctive "social ensemble": they use infant-directed speech (parentese), respond contingently to infants' actions and vocalizations, and react positively through mutual eye-gaze and smiling. Studies suggest that this social ensemble is essential for initial language learning. Our hypothesis is that the social ensemble attracts attentional systems to speech and that sensorimotor systems prepare infants to respond vocally, both of which advance language learning. Using infant magnetoencephalography (MEG), we measure 5-month-old infants' neural responses during live verbal face-to-face (F2F) interaction with an adult (social condition) and during a control (nonsocial condition) in which the adult turns away from the infant to speak to another person. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether infants' brain responses to these conditions at 5 months of age predicted their language growth at five future time points. Brain areas involved in attention (right hemisphere inferior frontal, right hemisphere superior temporal, and right hemisphere inferior parietal) show significantly higher theta activity in the social versus nonsocial condition. Critical to theory, we found that infants' neural activity in response to F2F interaction in attentional and sensorimotor regions significantly predicted future language development into the third year of life, more than 2 years after the initial measurements. We develop a view of early language acquisition that underscores the centrality of the social ensemble, and we offer new insight into the neurobiological components that link infants' language learning to their early brain functioning during social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Steven Bierer
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Julia C Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Eric Larson
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Samu Taulu
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Potter SN, Harvey D, Sterling A, Abbeduto L. Parental Responsivity and Child Communication During Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Fragile X Syndrome. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:939-959. [PMID: 38407074 PMCID: PMC11001423 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Past research shows that parentally responsive behavior toward the child positively influences language development in both neurotypical children and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with fragile X syndrome (FXS); however, most studies have focused exclusively on the mother-child relationship. The current study examined relationships between parent behavior (i.e., responsivity and behavior management) and child language performance in both mother-child and father-child interactions, as well as relationships between child characteristics and both parent behavior and child language. METHOD Participants were 23 families of young boys with FXS between 3 and 7 years of age. Mothers and fathers independently completed questionnaires assessing child characteristics and separately engaged in 12-min play-based interactions with their child via telehealth. One parent also completed a comprehensive interview assessing child adaptive behavior. Video recordings of the parent-child interactions were transcribed and coded for parent and child behavior, and measures of parent and child language were obtained from the transcripts. RESULTS Mothers and fathers used similar rates of responsive behaviors during parent-child interactions, and parental responsivity was positively associated with some aspects of child language performance (i.e., talkativeness and lexical diversity). Parental behavior, however, was not associated with syntactic complexity. Older children and children with higher levels of adaptive behavior had parents who used higher rates of responsive behaviors. Fathers used higher rates of behavior management strategies compared to mothers, and this type of parent behavior was not associated with child language. CONCLUSION Overall, this study provides evidence that interventions focused on increasing parental responsiveness would be beneficial for families of children with FXS and that these interventions should be delivered early given the association between responsivity and child age. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25229939.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nelson Potter
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
| | - Danielle Harvey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
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Sun J, Justice LM, Shen Y, Jiang H, Villasanti HG, Schmitt MB. Dimensionality of Speech-Language Pathologists' Child-Directed Talk During School-Based Therapy With Primary-Grade Students. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024; 33:866-882. [PMID: 38118435 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement structure of the linguistic features of speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) talk during business-as-usual therapy sessions in the public schools and to test the longitudinal stability of a theorized dimensional structure consisting of quantity, grammatical complexity, and lexical complexity. METHOD Seventy-five SLPs' talk during therapy sessions with primary-grade students was automatically transcribed and coded for linguistic features from a corpus of 579 videotaped therapy session videos collected at the beginning, middle, and end of one school year with an approximately 12-week interval. We explored video characteristics and conducted descriptive statistics on eight linguistic indices of SLP talk to examine the variability in SLP talk between therapy sessions. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to explore the dimensional structure of SLP talk at each time point separately for the theorized three dimensions, and we conducted longitudinal measurement invariance analyses to test the stability of the three-factor structural model across the academic year. RESULTS There were considerable variabilities among SLPs in the characteristics of SLP talk during therapy sessions. The proposed three-factor structure of SLP talk consisting of quantity, grammatical complexity, and lexical complexity had good model fit at all three time points. The linguistic measurement properties representing the three factors were invariant over time. CONCLUSIONS Results provided robust evidence of between-SLP variability in their child-directed talk, established a three-dimensional structure of the linguistic features in SLP talk, and identified that the linguistic features in SLP talk stably measured the same constructs across one school year, based on measurement invariance. The dimensions of SLP talk during therapy with students may represent important, malleable features of therapy that influence child language gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Laura M Justice
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Ye Shen
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Hui Jiang
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | | | - Mary Beth Schmitt
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Weiss Y, Sheth KK, Kuhl PK. Parentese in infancy predicts 5-year language complexity and conversational turns. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:359-384. [PMID: 36748287 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed its effects on longer-term outcomes. We assess the effects of parental quantity of speech, use of parentese (the acoustically exaggerated, clear, and higher-pitched speech), and turn-taking in infancy, on child language at 5 years. Using a longitudinal dataset of daylong LENA recordings collected with the same group of English-speaking infants (N=44) at 6, 10, 14, 18, 24 months and then again at 5 years, we demonstrate that parents' consistent (defined as stable and high) use of parentese in infancy was a potent predictor of lexical diversity, mean length of utterance, and frequency of conversational turn-taking between children and adults at Kindergarten entry. Together, these findings highlight the potential importance of a high-quality language learning environment in infancy for success at the start of formal schooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaveri K Sheth
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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15
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Bohn M, Prein J, Koch T, Bee RM, Delikaya B, Haun D, Gagarina N. oREV: An item response theory-based open receptive vocabulary task for 3- to 8-year-old children. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2595-2605. [PMID: 37407786 PMCID: PMC10991070 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02169-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in early language abilities are an important predictor of later life outcomes. High-quality, easy-access measures of language abilities are rare, especially in the preschool and primary school years. The present study describes the construction of a new receptive vocabulary task for children between 3 and 8 years of age. The task was implemented as a browser-based web application, allowing for both in-person and remote data collection via the internet. Based on data from N = 581 German-speaking children, we estimated the psychometric properties of each item in a larger initial item pool via item response modeling. We then applied an automated item selection procedure to select an optimal subset of items based on item difficulty and discrimination. The so-constructed task has 22 items and shows excellent psychometric properties with respect to reliability, stability, and convergent and discriminant validity. The construction, implementation, and item selection process described here makes it easy to extend the task or adapt it to different languages. All materials and code are freely accessible to interested researchers. The task can be used via the following website: https://ccp-odc.eva.mpg.de/orev-demo .
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Bohn
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institut für Psychologie, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany.
| | - Julia Prein
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Koch
- Institut für Psychologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - R Maximilian Bee
- Institut für Psychologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Büsra Delikaya
- Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Haun
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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16
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Ma Y, Zhang X, Pappas L, Rule A, Gao Y, Dill SE, Feng T, Zhang Y, Wang H, Cunha F, Rozelle S. Associations between urbanization and the home language environment: Evidence from a LENA study in rural and peri-urban China. Child Dev 2024; 95:e74-e92. [PMID: 37937886 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
In low- and middle-income countries, urbanization has spurred the expansion of peri-urban communities, or urban communities of formerly rural residents with low socioeconomic status. The growth of these communities offers researchers an opportunity to measure the associations between the level of urbanization and the home language environment (HLE) among otherwise similar populations. Data were collected in 2019 using Language Environment Analysis observational assessment technology from 158 peri-urban and rural households with Han Chinese children (92 males, 66 females) aged 18-24 months in China. Peri-urban children scored lower than rural children in measures of the HLE and language development. In both samples, child age, gender, maternal employment, and sibling number were positively correlated with the HLE, which was in turn correlated with language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xinwu Zhang
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lucy Pappas
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Andrew Rule
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yujuan Gao
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sarah-Eve Dill
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Tianli Feng
- School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Zhang
- National Center for Women and Children Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Child Health Care, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Flavio Cunha
- Department of Economics, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Scott Rozelle
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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17
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Sundqvist A, Barr R, Heimann M, Birberg-Thornberg U, Koch FS. A longitudinal study of the relationship between children's exposure to screen media and vocabulary development. Acta Paediatr 2024; 113:517-522. [PMID: 38014571 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
AIM This study addresses the scarcity of longitudinal research on the influence of screen media on children. It aims to explore the longitudinal relationship between children's vocabulary development and their exposure to screen media. METHODS The study, initiated in 2017, included 72 children (37 boys) in Östergötland, Sweden, at three key developmental stages: preverbal (9.7 months), early verbal (25.5 months) and preliterate (5.4 years). Parents completed online surveys at each time point, reporting their child's screen time. At 10 months and 2 years, age-appropriate vocabulary assessments were conducted online. At age 5, children's vocabulary was laboratory assessed. RESULTS Correlational analysis revealed a negative relationship between language scores and screen media use across all time points. Furthermore, a cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that screen media use showed significant continuity over time, with screen use at age 2 predicting language development at ages 2 and 5. CONCLUSION This longitudinal study, spanned from 9 months to 5 years of age, established a predictive negative association between children's exposure to screen media and their vocabulary development. These findings underscore the need to consider the impact of screen media on early childhood development and may inform guidelines for screen media use in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Sundqvist
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Infant and Child Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rachel Barr
- Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Mikael Heimann
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Infant and Child Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Birberg-Thornberg
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Infant and Child Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Felix-Sebastian Koch
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Infant and Child Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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18
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Ebadi S, Amiri M. Shut-up Toys for Second Language Learners: Impact of Digital Media on Early Adolescents' Private Speech Production in Individual and Collaborative Tasks. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2024; 53:19. [PMID: 38424383 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-024-10056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Researchers, parents, and policymakers from previous generations have recently expressed concern about the inevitable exposure of youngsters to digital media and its potentially detrimental effects on their development. Private speech is the overt audible self-talk people produce when engaged with challenging problem-solving tasks and is believed to aid in second language acquisition as reported (Vygotsky in Thought and language, MIT Press, 1962); (Winsler in Private Speech, Executive Functioning, and the Development of Verbal Self-Regulation, 2009). This qualitative case study explored private speech production in three young adolescents (two 11-year-olds and one 10-year-old) while completing an English as a foreign language task (Bingo! game) individually and collaboratively in physical and digital modes. Patterns of participants' private speech markers emerged from a thematic analysis of the transcribed oral interactions during eight sessions. The frequency of occurrence of the participants' private speech markers was reported and interpreted based on the emergent typology to compare collaborative and individual task completion in physical and digital modes. Regardless of the individual or collaborative nature of the task, private speech use decreased during the digital version of the game. However, collaborative tasks evoked more private speech from the participants regardless of modality. The findings of the study suggest digital media usage is likely to hinder private speech production for self-regulatory purposes in young adolescents, even in collaboration with peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Ebadi
- Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Maryam Amiri
- Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
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19
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Szarkowski A, Moeller MP, Gale E, Smith T, Birdsey BC, Moodie STF, Carr G, Stredler-Brown A, Yoshinaga-Itano C, Holzinger D. Family-Centered Early Intervention Deaf/Hard of Hearing (FCEI-DHH): Support Principles. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2024; 29:SI64-SI85. [PMID: 38422442 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This article is the sixth in a series of eight articles that comprise a special issue on Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families, or FCEI-DHH. The Support Principles article is the second of three articles that describe the 10 Principles of FCEI-DHH, preceded by the Foundation Principles, and followed by the Structure Principles, all in this special issue. The Support Principles are composed of four Principles (Principles 3, 4, 5, and 6) that highlight (a) the importance of a variety of supports for families raising children who are DHH; (b) the need to attend to and ensure the well-being of all children who are DHH; (c) the necessity of building the language and communication abilities of children who are DHH and their family members; and (d) the importance of considering the family's strengths, needs, and values in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Szarkowski
- The Institute, Children's Children's Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf, Beverly, MA, United States
- Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mary Pat Moeller
- Center for Childhood Deafness, Language & Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Elaine Gale
- School of Education, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Bianca C Birdsey
- Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (GPODHH), Durban, South Africa
| | - Sheila T F Moodie
- Health Sciences, School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Gwen Carr
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention and Family Centered Practice, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arlene Stredler-Brown
- Colorado Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, Colorado Department of Human Services, Denver, CO, United States
| | | | - Daniel Holzinger
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, Linz, Austria
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
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20
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Bergelson E, Soderstrom M, Schwarz IC, Rowland CF, Ramírez-Esparza N, R. Hamrick L, Marklund E, Kalashnikova M, Guez A, Casillas M, Benetti L, van Alphen P, Cristia A. Everyday language input and production in 1,001 children from six continents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300671120. [PMID: 38085754 PMCID: PMC10756310 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300671120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Language is a universal human ability, acquired readily by young children, who otherwise struggle with many basics of survival. And yet, language ability is variable across individuals. Naturalistic and experimental observations suggest that children's linguistic skills vary with factors like socioeconomic status and children's gender. But which factors really influence children's day-to-day language use? Here, we leverage speech technology in a big-data approach to report on a unique cross-cultural and diverse data set: >2,500 d-long, child-centered audio-recordings of 1,001 2- to 48-mo-olds from 12 countries spanning six continents across urban, farmer-forager, and subsistence-farming contexts. As expected, age and language-relevant clinical risks and diagnoses predicted how much speech (and speech-like vocalization) children produced. Critically, so too did adult talk in children's environments: Children who heard more talk from adults produced more speech. In contrast to previous conclusions based on more limited sampling methods and a different set of language proxies, socioeconomic status (operationalized as maternal education) was not significantly associated with children's productions over the first 4 y of life, and neither were gender or multilingualism. These findings from large-scale naturalistic data advance our understanding of which factors are robust predictors of variability in the speech behaviors of young learners in a wide range of everyday contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elika Bergelson
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138, United Kingdom
| | | | - Iris-Corinna Schwarz
- Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, StockholmSE-106 91, Sweden
- Department of Special Education, Stockholm University, StockholmSE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Caroline F. Rowland
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen6525 XZ, Netherlands
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, ACT2601, Australia
| | | | - Lisa R. Hamrick
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47907
| | - Ellen Marklund
- Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, StockholmSE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Marina Kalashnikova
- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian20009, Spain
- Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation of Science, Bilbao48009, Spain
| | - Ava Guez
- Départment d’études Cognitives, École normale supérieure, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Paris75005, France
| | - Marisa Casillas
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, Netherlands
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, ACT2601, Australia
- Comparative Human Development Department, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Lucia Benetti
- School of Music, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | | | - Alejandrina Cristia
- Départment d’études Cognitives, École normale supérieure, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Paris75005, France
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21
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Meylan SC, Foushee R, Wong NH, Bergelson E, Levy RP. How adults understand what young children say. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:2111-2125. [PMID: 37884678 PMCID: PMC11033618 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01698-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Children's early speech often bears little resemblance to that of adults, and yet parents and other caregivers are able to interpret that speech and react accordingly. Here we investigate how adult listeners' inferences reflect sophisticated beliefs about what children are trying to communicate, as well as how children are likely to pronounce words. Using a Bayesian framework for modelling spoken word recognition, we find that computational models can replicate adult interpretations of children's speech only when they include strong, context-specific prior expectations about the messages that children will want to communicate. This points to a critical role of adult cognitive processes in supporting early communication and reveals how children can actively prompt adults to take actions on their behalf even when they have only a nascent understanding of the adult language. We discuss the wide-ranging implications of the powerful listening capabilities of adults for theories of first language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan C Meylan
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Ruthe Foushee
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicole H Wong
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elika Bergelson
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roger P Levy
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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22
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Monaghan P. Literacy and early language development: Insights from computational modelling. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023; 50:1394-1410. [PMID: 36946299 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Computational models of reading have tended to focus on the cognitive requirements of mapping among written, spoken, and meaning representations of individual words in adult readers. Consequently, the alignment of these computational models with behavioural studies of reading development has to date been limited. Models of reading have provided us with insights into the architecture of the reading system, and these have recently been extended to investigate literacy development, and the early language skills that influence children's reading. These models show us: how learning to read builds on early language skills, why various reading interventions might be more or less effective for different children, and how reading develops across different languages and writing systems. Though there is growing alignment between descriptive models of reading behaviour and computational models, there remains a gap, and I lay out the groundwork for how translation may become increasingly effective through future modelling work.
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23
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McKean C, Reilly S. Creating the conditions for robust early language development for all: Part two: Evidence informed public health framework for child language in the early years. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2023; 58:2242-2264. [PMID: 37431980 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most significant developmental accomplishments is the emergence of language in early childhood. Whilst this process is effortless for most children, others can face significant hurdles. Identifying, in the early years, which children will go on to have developmental language disorder is, however, fraught with several well-documented challenges. In the preceding paper we described and linked new research evidence about factors that influence language development in the early years, noting that exposure to some may be time sensitive and that these influences cluster together and can accumulate over time. We demonstrated that risk profiles were associated with and characterised low language trajectories, and we considered how this information could be integrated into a concept that moves beyond screening at single time points in the early years. We argue that this evidence might be used to build an improved early years framework for language thereby creating a more equitable surveillance system that does not leave children living in less advantageous circumstances behind. Underpinning this thinking was a bioecological framework that incorporates the social, environmental and family factors in the child's ecosystem known to influence language development in the early years. AIMS To develop a proposal for the design and implementation of an early language public health framework based on current best evidence METHODS: We synthesised the findings from the companion paper (Reilly & McKean 2023) regarding early language trajectories, inequalities and clustering of risks with key public health concepts, relevant intervention evidence and implementation theories to develop a new framework for language surveillance and preventative interventions in the early years. MAIN CONTRIBUTION An evidence informed early language public health framework is presented. Describing in turn (1) essential components; (2) relevant interventions; (3) essential qualities for implementation ((i) probabilistic, (ii) proportionate, (iii) developmental and sustained and (iv) codesigned); (4) system-level structures and (5) processes required to adopt and embed an early language public health framework in an existing Local Government Area's child health surveillance and early prevention-intervention systems. CONCLUSIONS Children's language development influences their life chances across the life course and language difficulties are unfairly distributed across society. Current evidence points to the need for whole systems approaches to early child language and enables a blueprint for such a framework to be described. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject Early child language development sets the stage for a child's life chances and language difficulties can have profound long-term consequences. Such difficulties are unfairly distributed across society and the reach of preventative services is not universal or equitable. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS Several effective primary and secondary preventative interventions exist but their successful implementation is not straightforward. An early language public health framework of surveillance and intervention is described to provide equitable and effective early interventions to children from 0-4 years. We detail the essential components, interventions and qualities of that framework and describe system-level structures and processes required to adopt and embed an early language public health framework in a given locality. WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WORK?: A whole systems approach to early child language is required and should be co-designed through local collaboration with family, community and children's services stakeholders. A public health speech and language therapist role could catalyse the implementation of such approaches and support continuous improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Australia
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24
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Taylor EK, Abdurokhmonova G, Romeo RR. Socioeconomic Status and Reading Development: Moving from "Deficit" to "Adaptation" in Neurobiological Models of Experience-Dependent Learning. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:324-333. [PMID: 38148924 PMCID: PMC10750966 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading-oral language and executive function (EF)-are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how SES influences the neurobiology of language, EF, and their intersection, including the proximal factors that drive these relationships. We then consider the burgeoning evidence that SES systematically moderates certain brain-behavior relationships for language and EF, underscoring the importance of considering context in investigations of the neurobiological underpinnings of reading development. Finally, we discuss how disparities in reading may be conceptualized as neurobiological adaptations to adversity rather than deficit models. We conclude by suggesting that by harnessing children's stress-adapted relative strengths to support reading development, we may address opportunity gaps both ethically and efficaciously.
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25
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Reggin LD, Gómez Franco LE, Horchak OV, Labrecque D, Lana N, Rio L, Vigliocco G. Consensus Paper: Situated and Embodied Language Acquisition. J Cogn 2023; 6:63. [PMID: 37841673 PMCID: PMC10573584 DOI: 10.5334/joc.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Theories of embodied cognition postulate that perceptual, sensorimotor, and affective properties of concepts support language learning and processing. In this paper, we argue that language acquisition, as well as processing, is situated in addition to being embodied. In particular, first, it is the situated nature of initial language development that affords for the developing system to become embodied. Second, the situated nature of language use changes across development and adulthood. We provide evidence from empirical studies for embodied effects of perception, action, and valence as they apply to both embodied cognition and situated cognition across developmental stages. Although the evidence is limited, we urge researchers to consider differentiating embodied cognition within situated context, in order to better understand how these separate mechanisms interact for learning to occur. This delineation also provides further clarity to the study of classroom-based applications and the role of embodied and situated cognition in the study of developmental disorders. We argue that theories of language acquisition need to address for the complex situated context of real-world learning by completing a "circular notion": observing experimental paradigms in real-world settings and taking these observations to later refine lab-based experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Nadia Lana
- McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Laura Rio
- Universitàdi Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Law J, Charlton J, Wilson P, Rush R, Gilroy V, McKean C. The development and productivity of a measure for identifying low language abilities in children aged 24-36 months. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:495. [PMID: 37773111 PMCID: PMC10540411 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04079-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate early identification of children with low language ability is important but existing measures generally have low sensitivity. This remains an area of concern for preventive and public health services. This study aimed to create and evaluate a measure of child language, communication and related risks which can be used by community health nurses to accurately identify children with low language aged 24-30 months. METHODS The Early Language Identification Measure (ELIM) was developed and comprised five measurement sections, each measuring different aspects of development combined into a single measure. This was tested blind against a reference standard language measure, the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5), at the universal 24-30-month health visitor review in England. The threshold for likely low language was the tenth centile or below on the PLS-5. The aim was to ascertain the performance of the five individual sections in the scale, and consider the optimum combination of sections, for predicting low language ability. Specificity, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values were reported for each of the five sections of the ELIM alone and in conjunction with each other. The performance for children from monolingual English-speaking families and those who spoke languages other than English were also considered separately. RESULTS Three hundred and seventy-six children were assessed on both the ELIM identification measure and the PLS-5 with 362 providing complete data. While each section of the ELIM predicted low language ability, the optimal combination for predicting language outcome was the parent reported vocabulary checklist coupled with the practitioner observation of the child's communication and related behaviours. This gave a sensitivity of 0·98 with a specificity of 0·63. CONCLUSIONS A novel measure has been developed which accurately identifies children at risk of low language, allowing clinicians to target resources efficiently and intervene early.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Law
- School of Education Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, King George VI Building, Queen Victoria Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE7 1RU, UK
| | - Jenna Charlton
- School of Education Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, King George VI Building, Queen Victoria Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE7 1RU, UK
| | - Philip Wilson
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Inverness, IV2 3JH, UK
| | - Robert Rush
- Finn Coral Statistical Services, 16A Denham Green Terrace, Edinburgh, EH5 3PF, UK
| | - Vicky Gilroy
- Institute of Health Visiting | c/o Royal Society for Public Health, John Snow House, 59 Mansell Street, London, E1 8AN, UK
| | - Cristina McKean
- School of Education Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, King George VI Building, Queen Victoria Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE7 1RU, UK.
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Finders J, Wilson E, Duncan R. Early childhood education language environments: considerations for research and practice. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1202819. [PMID: 37809298 PMCID: PMC10556667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of developing early language and literacy skills is acknowledged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a global human rights issue. Indeed, research suggests that language abilities are foundational for a host of cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to provide experiences that foster language acquisition across early learning settings. Central to these efforts is incorporating assessments of language environments into research and practice to drive quality improvement. Yet, several barriers may be preventing language environment assessments from becoming widely integrated into early education. In this brief, we review evidence on the types of experiences that promote language development, describe characteristics of language environment assessments, and outline practical and philosophical considerations to assist with decision-making. Further, we offer recommendations for future research that may contribute knowledge regarding strategies to assess and support language development. In addressing both areas, we highlight the potential for early childhood language environments to advance equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Finders
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Ella Wilson
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Robert Duncan
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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Miller EB, Canfield CF, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Chung A, Katter J, Kerker BD. The Children, Caregivers, and Community (C3) study of together growing strong: A protocol for an observational, place-based initiative in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290985. [PMID: 37656726 PMCID: PMC10473505 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Reaching population-level impact for families in poverty requires moving beyond a sole focus on individuals, to a wider focus on interactions between individuals and their broader environmental contexts. Place-based initiatives have emerged as a policy response to promote community-level change around these broader interactions between individuals and their local communities through addressing long-standing disparities in housing, employment, education, and health. Together Growing Strong (TGS) is one such place-based initiative focused on transforming the health, wellbeing, and development of young children and their families in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The Children, Caregivers, and Community (C3) Study is an outcomes-based study designed to assess the trajectories of children and families in Sunset Park along indicators such as family health and wellbeing and child development in relation to TGS program participation. The aims, scope, and protocol of the C3 Study are the subjects of this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B. Miller
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Caitlin F. Canfield
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | | | - Alicia Chung
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Julie Katter
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bonnie D. Kerker
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
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Knabe ML, Schonberg CC, Vlach HA. Does the public know what researchers know? Perceived task difficulty impacts adults' intuitions about children's early word learning. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2023; 8:45. [PMID: 37486427 PMCID: PMC10366060 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00493-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study examined adults' understanding of children's early word learning. Undergraduates, non-parents, parents, and Speech-Language Pathologists (N = 535, 74% female, 56% White) completed a survey with 11 word learning principles from the perspective of a preschooler. Questions tested key principles from early word learning research. For each question, participants were prompted to select an answer based on the perspective of a preschooler. Adults demonstrated aligned intuitions for all principles except those derived from domain-general theories, regardless of experience with language development (Experiment 1). Experiment 2 revealed that perceived difficulty of a task for a preschooler impacted adults' reasoning about word learning processes. Experiment 3 ruled out level of confidence and interest as mechanisms to explain the results. These results highlight disconnects in knowledge between the cognitive development research community and the general public. Therefore, efforts must be made to communicate scientific findings to the broader non-academic community, emphasizing children's ability to excel at word learning in the face of task difficulty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina L Knabe
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI, 53703, USA.
| | - Christina C Schonberg
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI, 53703, USA
- IXL, 777 Mariners Island Blvd., Suite 600, San Mateo, CA, 94404, USA
| | - Haley A Vlach
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI, 53703, USA
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Miller EB, Roby E, Zhang Y, Coskun L, Rosas JM, Scott MA, Gutierrez J, Shaw DS, Mendelsohn AL, Morris-Perez PA. Promoting Cognitive Stimulation in Parents Across Infancy and Toddlerhood: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Pediatr 2023; 255:159-165.e4. [PMID: 36481243 PMCID: PMC10121799 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the impact of the fully integrated Smart Beginnings model on parental support of cognitive stimulation from 6 to 24 months across infancy and toddlerhood. STUDY DESIGN This was a single-blind, 2-site randomized clinical trial of the Smart Beginnings intervention. Enrollment took place at birth in postpartum units of hospitals in New York City and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a consecutive sample of 403 mother-infant dyads. Smart Beginnings combines a Video Interaction Project-14-session universal primary prevention program delivered in the pediatric clinic at the time of well-child visits birth-36 months-with potential for Family Check-Up-3-4 sessions targeted secondary prevention home-visiting program. The principal outcome was parental support of cognitive stimulation assessed via parent survey and video-recorded observations of parent-child interactions. Ordinary least squares and mixed effects regressions were conducted. RESULTS Families were mostly Black/African-American (50%) or Latinx (42%); all were Medicaid eligible (100%). Smart Beginnings significantly promoted cognitive stimulation during infancy and toddlerhood for most survey outcomes across time, including StimQ common total (effect size [ES] = 0.25, P = .01) and READ Quantity (ES = .19, P = .04) and Quality (ES = .30, P = .001). For the observations, the impact of Smart Beginnings varied by time, with significant impacts at 6 (ES = 0.37-.40, P < .001) and 24 (ES = 0.27-.30, P < .001) months, but not 18 months. CONCLUSIONS Smart Beginnings positively promotes cognitive stimulation from infancy through toddlerhood using the integrated model. This study adds to the body of research showing preventive interventions in pediatric primary care and home visiting can support early relational health including parental support of cognitive stimulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02459327.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Miller
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.
| | - Erin Roby
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Yudong Zhang
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Lerzan Coskun
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Johana M Rosas
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Marc A Scott
- Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities, New York University, New York, NY
| | - Juliana Gutierrez
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Daniel S Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Alan L Mendelsohn
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
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HART ER, TROLLER-RENFREE SV, SPERBER JF, NOBLE KG. Relations among Socioeconomic Status, Perceived Stress, and the Home Language Environment. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023:1-18. [PMID: 36916133 PMCID: PMC10500036 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
While socioeconomic disparities in the home language environment have been well established, the mechanisms explaining these disparities are poorly understood. One plausible mechanism is heightened stress. The current study investigated whether maternal perceived stress was 1) associated with measures of the home language environment, and 2) mediated the relation between socioeconomic disparities and the home language environment. Data from three independent studies were analyzed, which together comprised 322 mother-child dyads. Two studies included mothers and their six- to twelve-month-old infants (N = 227). The third included mothers and their five- to nine-year-old children (N = 95). Mothers reported their educational attainment, income, and stress. Language Environment Analysis (LENA) measured the home language environment. As has been previously reported, socioeconomic disparities were observed in adult words and conversational turns. Stress did not mediate these associations, nor was it associated with adult words or conversational turns. Alternate mechanisms for future exploration are discussed.
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Cheung RW, Willan K, Dickerson J, Bowyer-Crane C. Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford's Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study. BMJ Paediatr Open 2023; 7:10.1136/bmjpo-2022-001764. [PMID: 36927864 PMCID: PMC10030670 DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2022-001764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preschool language skills and language delay predict academic and socioemotional outcomes. Children from deprived environments are at a higher risk of language delay, and both minority ethnic and bilingual children can experience a gap in language skills at school entry. However, research that examines late talking (preschool language delay) in an ethnically diverse, bilingual, deprived environment at age 2 is scarce. METHODS Data from Born in Bradford's Better Start birth cohort were used to identify rates of late talking (≤10th percentile on the Oxford-Communicative Development Inventory: Short) in 2-year-old children within an ethnically diverse, predominantly bilingual, deprived UK region (N=712). The relations between known demographic, maternal, distal and proximal child risk factors, and language skills and language delay were tested using hierarchical linear and logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 24.86% of children were classified as late talkers. Maternal demographic factors (ethnicity, born in UK, education, financial security, employment, household size, age) predicted 3.12% of the variance in children's expressive vocabulary. Adding maternal language factors (maternal native language, home languages) and perinatal factors (birth weight, gestation) to the model predicted 3.76% of the variance. Adding distal child factors (child sex, child age) predicted 11.06%, and adding proximal child factors (receptive vocabulary, hearing concerns) predicted 49.51%. Significant risk factors for late talking were male sex (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.09), receptive vocabulary delay (OR 8.40, 95% CI 4.99 to 14.11) and parent-reported hearing concerns (OR 7.85, 95% CI 1.90 to 32.47). Protective factors were increased household size (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.95) and age (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.96). CONCLUSIONS Almost one in four children living in an ethnically diverse and deprived UK area have early language delay. Demographic factors explained little variance in early vocabulary, whereas proximal child factors held more predictive value. The results indicate further research on early language delay is warranted for vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael W Cheung
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
- Better Start Bradford Innovation Hub, Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Kathryn Willan
- Better Start Bradford Innovation Hub, Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Josie Dickerson
- Better Start Bradford Innovation Hub, Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Claudine Bowyer-Crane
- National Institute of Economic and Social Research, London, UK
- Department of Education, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Ma Y, Jonsson L, Yao Z, Zhang X, Friesen D, Medina A, Rozelle S, Pappas L. The home language environment in rural China: variations across family characteristics. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:354. [PMID: 36797712 PMCID: PMC9936727 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15245-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A rich language environment is an important element of a nurturing home environment. Despite their proven importance, vocabulary and conversation have been shown to vary widely across households-even within the same socio-economic class. One significant gap in the existing literature is its nearly exclusive geographic focus on Western and developed settings, with little attention given to poorer communities in lower/middle income countries. The purpose of this study was to empirically illustrate the characteristics of the home language environment in the low SES, non-Western cultural setting of rural China. METHODS Using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) automated language-analysis system, this study measured the home language environment of 38 children aged 20-27 months in Northwest rural China. Our primary measures of the home language environment were Adult Word Count (AWC), Conversational Turn Count (CTC) and Child Vocalization Count (CVC). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between home language environment and family/child characteristics, and language skills (Measured by MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory score). RESULTS In this paper, by comparison, we found that the home language environment of our rural sample fell far behind that of urban households. We also identify significant, positive correlations between language skills and both AWC and CTC. Our analysis finds no significant correlations between home language environment and family/child characteristics. CONCLUSION In this paper, we present the first ever findings using the LENA system to measure the home language environment of young children from poor rural communities in China. We found that the home language environment of lower-SES household was significantly worse than high-SES households, and demonstrated the importance of the home language environment to language skills, pointing to a need for more high-quality studies of the home language environment in rural China to better understand possible mechanisms behind low levels of parent-child language engagement and ways to improve the home language environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Laura Jonsson
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Zixin Yao
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA ,grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Economics Department, Columbia University, New York City, USA
| | - Xinwu Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Northwest University, 1 Xuefu Road, Chang'an District, 710127, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Dimitris Friesen
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Alexis Medina
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Scott Rozelle
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Lucy Pappas
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
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Binos P, Papastefanou T, Psillas G. Socio-Economic Status and Language Development in Hearing Loss: A Critical Appraisal. Audiol Res 2023; 13:151-159. [PMID: 36825953 PMCID: PMC9952081 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres13010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of language input on children's speech, language, and brain development was borne out of Hart and Risley's famous "30-million-word gap". A perspective bolstered by many studies in the last decade relates higher socio-economic status (SES) to better qualitative and quantitative differences in children's speech. The logic chains found in these studies suggest that literacy development depends on language and brain development. Thus, brain building develops based on environmental experience and language input depends on the brain's perception of the auditory information. This essay uses the latest published peer-reviewed research to outline the current landscape of the role of SES in the development of speech and language skills among children with hearing loss (HL) who are enrolled in auditory-driven habilitation programs. This essay argues that low SES families may provide sufficient input for their children. The outcome of auditory-driven programs implemented by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) seems to be detached from SES. The role of SES on this developmental trajectory remains unclear, and clinical practice may be related to other validated and robust parameters related to hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris Binos
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +357-2500-2371
| | - Theodora Papastefanou
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
| | - George Psillas
- 1st Otolaryngology Department, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Davison KE, Zuk J, Mullin LJ, Ozernov-Palchik O, Norton E, Gabrieli JDE, Yu X, Gaab N. Examining Shared Reading and White Matter Organization in Kindergarten in Relation to Subsequent Language and Reading Abilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:259-275. [PMID: 36378907 PMCID: PMC9884137 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parent-child language interaction in early childhood carries long-term implications for children's language and reading development. Conversational interaction, in particular, has been linked to white matter organization of neural pathways critical for language and reading. However, shared book reading serves an important role for language interaction as it exposes children to sophisticated vocabulary and syntax. Despite this, it remains unclear whether shared reading also relates to white matter characteristics subserving language and reading development. If so, to what extent do these environmentally associated changes in white matter organization relate to subsequent reading outcomes? This longitudinal study examined shared reading and white matter organization in kindergarten in relation to subsequent language and reading outcomes among 77 typically developing children. Findings reveal positive associations between the number of hours children are read to weekly (shared reading time) and the fractional anisotropy of the left arcuate fasciculus, as well as left lateralization of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Furthermore, left lateralization of the SLF in these kindergarteners is associated with subsequent reading abilities in second grade. Mediation analyses reveal that left lateralization of the SLF fully mediates the relationship between shared reading time and second-grade reading abilities. Results are significant when controlling for age and socioeconomic status. This is the first evidence demonstrating how white matter structure, in relation to shared reading in kindergarten, is associated with school-age reading outcomes. Results illuminate shared reading as a key proxy for the home language and literacy environment and further our understanding of how language interaction may support neurocognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University
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Ma Y, Pappas L, Zhang X, Feng T, Su WB, Wang Q, Zeng Y, Dill SE, Rozelle S. Family-level factors of early childhood development: Evidence from rural China. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 70:101787. [PMID: 36399846 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Family-level factors that characterize the home environment are critical inputs to early language and cognitive development, and potential mechanisms for improving developmental outcomes in vulnerable populations. Many studies conducted in high-income and Western settings highlight stimulating parenting, the home language environment, and parental self-efficacy as possible mechanisms of early development, though less is known about how these family-level factors impact child development in low- or middle-income settings. Even less is known about these family-level factors and early childhood development in rural China, where rates of cognitive and language delay in children aged 0-3 years are as high as 45% and 46%, respectively. Using data collected from 77 rural households with children aged 18-24 months in Southwestern China, this study examines the associations between stimulating parenting, the home language environment, and parental self-efficacy, and early cognitive and language development. The results indicate that stimulating parenting was significantly associated with cognitive, language, and overall development; the home language environment was only significantly associated with language development; and parental self-efficacy was not significantly associated with any developmental outcomes. The implications of such findings reveal mechanisms for supporting healthy child development in rural China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Lucy Pappas
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Xinwu Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Northwest University, 1 Xuefu Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an 710127, China.
| | - Tianli Feng
- School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.
| | - William B Su
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Qizhe Wang
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Yangyinzhi Zeng
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Sarah-Eve Dill
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Scott Rozelle
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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Markfeld JE, Feldman JI, Bordman SL, Daly C, Santapuram P, Humphreys KL, Keçeli-Kaysılı B, Woynaroski TG. Associations Between Caregiver Stress and Language Outcomes in Infants With Autistic and Non-Autistic Siblings: An Exploratory Study. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:190-205. [PMID: 36525624 PMCID: PMC10023184 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Caregivers of autistic children present with high stress levels, which have been associated with poorer child outcomes in several domains, including language development. However, prior to this study, it was unknown whether elevated caregiver stress was associated with language development in infant siblings of autistic children (Sibs-autism), who are at increased likelihood of receiving a future diagnosis of autism and/or language impairment compared to infant siblings of non-autistic children. This study explored the degree to which, as well as the mechanisms by which, caregiver stress was linked with later language outcomes of Sibs-autism and infant siblings of non-autistic children (Sibs-NA). METHOD Participants were 50 infants (28 Sibs-autism; 22 Sibs-NA) aged 12-18 months at the first time point in this study (Time 1). Infants were seen again 9 months later, at 21-27 months of age (Time 2). Caregiver stress was measured via a validated self-report measure at Time 1. Caregiver language input, the putative mechanism by which caregiver stress may influence later language outcomes, was collected via two daylong recordings from digital recording (Language ENvironment Analysis) devices worn by the child at this same time point. Child language outcomes were measured via standardized and caregiver report measures at Time 2. RESULTS Several models testing hypothesized indirect effects of caregiver stress on later child language outcomes through caregiver language input were statistically significant. Specifically, significant indirect effects suggest that (a) caregivers with increased stress tend to speak less to their infants, and (b) this reduced language input tends to covary with reduced child language outcomes later in life for Sibs-autism and Sibs-NA. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights into links between caregiver stress, caregiver language input, and language outcomes in Sibs-autism and Sibs-NA. Further work is necessary to understand how to best support caregivers and optimize the language learning environments for infants. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21714368.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob I. Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Samantha L. Bordman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Claire Daly
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Pooja Santapuram
- Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Bahar Keçeli-Kaysılı
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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Tulviste T, Tamm A. Longitudinal links between maternal directives, children's engagement in family conversations, and child linguistic skills. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1175084. [PMID: 37213383 PMCID: PMC10192891 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1175084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Research on mother-child verbal interaction is largely inspired by Vygotsky. The results align with his view that children acquire language and culture-specific ways of using language through actively participating in daily conversations with adults. Supporting Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, the facilitative features of such conversations have been found to depend on age, the level of the child's language skills, and the interactional context. Most previous studies in the field have been conducted in English-speaking Western families with a focus on the first years of children's lives. As Estonian middle-class mothers have been found to put greater emphasis on controlling children than mothers from other cultural contexts, we included the frequency of using directives as one of the features of mothers' speech that might have an impact on child language development. Aim Accordingly, the current study explored the relative impact of various aspects of mother-child interaction (e.g., mothers' vocabulary diversity, use of attentional and behavioral directives, wh-questions, and the amount of children's talk) on children's language skills using data collected from Estonian middle-class families at two timepoints, 1 year apart. As a novel approach to this topic, the study also examined the correlation between mothers' input features and children's participation in the parent-child conversation. Method A total of 87 children aged 3;0 and 4;0 and their mothers participated in the study. We observed the mother-child interactions during a semistructured videotaped game played at home. Mothers reported their children's language skills via the ECDI-III. Children's language comprehension and production were measured using the examiner-administered NRDLS. Results and conclusion Although the results showed somewhat differential effects of various aspects of mothers' speech on different measures of child language skills at two timepoints, the diversity of mothers' speech was positively, and mothers' frequent use of directives negatively related to children's language skills. At both ages, the diversity of mothers' speech predicted the amount of children's verbal contribution to conversations. The findings will be discussed in light of Vygotskian and his followers' theoretical views and theories about child language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiia Tulviste
- Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anni Tamm
- Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Guo LX, Pace A, Masek LR, Golinkoff RM, Hirsh-Pasek K. Cascades in language acquisition: Re-thinking the linear model of development. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 64:69-107. [PMID: 37080675 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The first 5 years of life are characterized by incredible growth across domains of child development. Drawing from over 50 years of seminal research, this chapter contextualizes recent advances in language sciences through the lens of developmental cascades to explore complexities and connections in acquisition. Converging evidence-both classic and contemporary-points to the many ways in which advances in one learning system can pose significant and lasting impacts on the advances in other learning systems. This chapter reviews evidence in developmental literature from multiple domains and disciplines (i.e., cognitive, social, motor, bilingual language learning, and communication sciences and disorders) to examine the phenomenon of developmental cascades in language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura X Guo
- University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Amy Pace
- University of Washington, Seattle, United States.
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Cristia A. A systematic review suggests marked differences in the prevalence of infant-directed vocalization across groups of populations. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13265. [PMID: 35429106 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Anthropological reports have long suggested that speaking to young children is very infrequent in certain populations (notably farming ones), which is in line with scattered quantitative studies. A systematic review was undertaken to use available literature in order to estimate the extent of population variation. Database searches, expert lists, and citation searches led to the discovery of 29 reports on the frequency of vocalizations directed to infants aged 24 months or younger, based on systematic observations of spontaneous activity in the infant's natural environment lasting at least 30 min in length. Together, these studies provide evidence on 1314 infants growing up in a range of communities (urban, foraging, farming). For populations located outside of North America, the frequency with which vocalization was directed to urban infants was much higher than that for rural infants (including both foraging and farming, medians = 12.6 vs. 3.6% of observations contained infant-directed vocalization behaviors). We benchmarked this effect against socio-economic status (SES) variation in the United States, which was much smaller. Infants in high SES American homes were spoken to only slightly more frequently than those in low SES homes (medians = 16.4 vs. 15.1% of observations contained infant-directed vocalization behaviors). Although published research represents a biased sample of the world's populations, these results invite further cross-population research to understand the causes and effects of such considerable population group differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandrina Cristia
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et de Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
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Xu Y. Talking with machines: Can conversational technologies serve as children's social partners? CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- School of Education University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
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Pesch A, Ochoa KD, Fletcher KK, Bermudez VN, Todaro RD, Salazar J, Gibbs HM, Ahn J, Bustamante AS, Hirsh-Pasek K. Reinventing the public square and early educational settings through culturally informed, community co-design: Playful Learning Landscapes. Front Psychol 2022; 13:933320. [PMID: 36571020 PMCID: PMC9768569 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.933320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
What if the environment could be transformed in culturally-responsive and inclusive ways to foster high-quality interactions and spark conversations that drive learning? In this article, we describe a new initiative accomplishing this, called Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL). PLL is an evidence-based initiative that blends findings from the science of learning with community-based participatory research to transform physical public spaces and educational settings into playful learning hubs. Here, we describe our model for conducting this research, which is mindful of three key components: community input, how children learn best, and what children need to learn to be successful in the 21st century economy. We describe how this model was implemented in two PLL case studies: one in a predominantly Latine community and the second in early childhood education classrooms. Furthermore, we describe how research employing our model can be rigorously and reliably evaluated using observational and methodological tools that respond to diverse cultural settings and learning outcomes. For example, our work evaluates how PLL impacts adult-child interaction quality and language use, attitudes about play and learning, and community civic engagement. Taken together, this article highlights new ways to involve community voices in developmental and educational research and provides a model of how science can be translated into practice and evaluated in culturally responsive ways. This synthesis of our process and evaluation can be used by researchers, policymakers, and educators to reimagine early educational experiences with an eye toward the built environment that children inhabit in everyday life, creating opportunities that foster lifelong learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise Pesch
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States,*Correspondence: Annelise Pesch,
| | - Karlena D. Ochoa
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Katelyn K. Fletcher
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Vanessa N. Bermudez
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Rachael D. Todaro
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julie Salazar
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | | | - June Ahn
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Andres S. Bustamante
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, United States
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Heppt B, Henschel S, Hardy I, Gabler K. Instructional support in inquiry-based elementary school science classes: how does it relate to students’ science content knowledge and academic language proficiency? EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10212-022-00653-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInquiry-based science instruction has been proposed as an optimal learning environment for language-integrated teaching. While its potential for developing both content knowledge and language skills has been shown for students with limited language proficiency, research focusing on mainstream classrooms has mainly considered domain-specific learning. Despite the effectiveness of inquiry-based science instruction for student outcomes, research on the role of specific aspects of instructional quality is limited. Addressing this research gap, the present study investigates the relationship between teachers’ instructional support during inquiry-based science classes and elementary school students’ learning gains in science content knowledge and academic language proficiency. Multilevel regression analyses are based on data from 459 German elementary school students from Grades 3 and 4 who participated in a longitudinal intervention study that took place over one school year. Our findings indicate a strong impact of students’ prior knowledge on learning outcomes and compositional effects for the language-related measures. Relations between teachers’ instructional support, as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al., 2008), and students’ learning outcomes did not emerge. In interpreting the results, the overall mediocre quality of teachers’ instructional support needs to be considered.
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Blasi DE, Henrich J, Adamou E, Kemmerer D, Majid A. Over-reliance on English hinders cognitive science. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:1153-1170. [PMID: 36253221 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
English is the dominant language in the study of human cognition and behavior: the individuals studied by cognitive scientists, as well as most of the scientists themselves, are frequently English speakers. However, English differs from other languages in ways that have consequences for the whole of the cognitive sciences, reaching far beyond the study of language itself. Here, we review an emerging body of evidence that highlights how the particular characteristics of English and the linguistic habits of English speakers bias the field by both warping research programs (e.g., overemphasizing features and mechanisms present in English over others) and overgeneralizing observations from English speakers' behaviors, brains, and cognition to our entire species. We propose mitigating strategies that could help avoid some of these pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damián E Blasi
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Street, 02138 Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Human Relations Area Files, 755 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-1225, USA.
| | - Joseph Henrich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Street, 02138 Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Evangelia Adamou
- Languages and Cultures of Oral Tradition lab, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), 7 Rue Guy Môquet, 94801 Villejuif, France
| | - David Kemmerer
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, 715 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 3rd Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Asifa Majid
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK.
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Duncan RJ, Anderson KL, King YA, Finders JK, Schmitt SA, Purpura DJ. Predictors of preschool language environments and their relations to children's vocabulary. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Duncan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Kirsten L. Anderson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Yemimah A. King
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Jennifer K. Finders
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Sara A. Schmitt
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - David J. Purpura
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
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Development of writing skills within a home-based, shared reading intervention: Re-analyses of evidence from a randomized controlled trial. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Volodina A, Weinert S, Washbrook E, Waldfogel J, Kwon SJ, Wang Y, Perinetti Casoni V. Explaining gaps by parental education in children’s early language and social outcomes at age 3–4 years: evidence from harmonised data from three countries. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03754-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractChild outcomes vary by family’s socioeconomic status (SES). Research on explanatory factors underlying early SES-related disparities has mainly focused on specific child outcomes (e.g., language skills) and selected influencing factors in single countries often with a focus on individual differences but not explicitly on early SES-related gaps. This study uses harmonised data from longitudinal large-scale studies conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany to examine parental education-related gaps in early child language and social skills. Twelve theoretically proposed family-, child-, and childcare-related factors were systematically evaluated as explanatory factors. In all countries, parental education-related gaps were particularly pronounced for early child language compared to social skills. In the decomposition analyses, the home learning environment was the only measure that significantly explained gaps in all child outcomes across all countries. Early centre-based care attendance, family income, and maternal age at childbirth contributed to gaps in child outcomes with the specific pattern of results varying across outcomes and countries. Maternal depressive feelings significantly contributed only to explaining gaps in children’s social skills. Thus, while some mechanisms found to underpin early parental education-related gaps can be generalized from single-country, single-domain studies, others are outcome- and context-specific.
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Selin C, Rice ML, Jackson Y. Adversity Exposure, Syntax, and Specific Language Impairment: An Exploratory Study. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:3471-3490. [PMID: 35973108 PMCID: PMC9913135 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-21-00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Children exposed to adversity (e.g., chronic poverty, traumatic events, and maltreatment) are at increased risk for performing below age expectations on norm-referenced language assessments, but it is unknown whether the risk is higher for specific language impairment (SLI). This exploratory study investigated whether adversity exposure is associated with reduced grammar knowledge and SLI. METHOD The syntax subtest of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation-Norm-Referenced (DELV-NR) assessment was administered to 30 school-age children with known histories of adversity exposure. Their primary caregiver also completed a comprehensive adversity exposure measure, which captured adverse event type, frequency, chronicity, and severity. Analyses included t tests, correlations, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square. RESULTS Overall, the sample performed below age expectations on the DELV-NR Syntax subtest, and a higher percentage of participants (20%) met diagnostic criteria for SLI than expected. The SLI and typical language (TL) groups did not significantly differ in adversity dosage, frequency, chronicity, or severity; however, participants in the SLI group were 1.46 times more likely to have experienced physical trauma than the participants in the TL group. CONCLUSIONS Children with known histories of adversity exposure presented with grammatical deficits and SLI more often than expected based on the DELV-NR normative sample; however, features of the adverse event did not associate with SLI status except for exposure to physical trauma (e.g., physical abuse and victimization). Future research is needed to investigate the prevalence and potential causal pathways of SLI in this population. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20483706.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Selin
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Mabel L. Rice
- Child Language Doctoral Program, The University of Kansas, Lawrence
| | - Yo Jackson
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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Salo VC, King LS, Gotlib IH, Humphreys KL. Infants who experience more adult-initiated conversations have better expressive language in toddlerhood. INFANCY 2022; 27:916-936. [PMID: 35775622 PMCID: PMC10009899 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To understand how infants become engaged in conversations with their caregivers, we examined who tends to initiate conversations between adults and infants, differences between the features of infant- and adult-initiated conversations, and whether individual differences in how much infants engage in infant- or adult-initiated conversations uniquely predict later language development. We analyzed naturalistic adult-infant conversations captured via passive recording of the daily environment in two samples of 6-month-old infants. In Study 1, we found that at age 6 months, infants typically engage in more adult- than infant-initiated conversations and that adult-initiated conversations are, on average, longer and contain more adult words. In Study 2, we replicated these findings and, further, found that infants who engaged in more adult-initiated conversations in infancy had better expressive language at age 18 months. This association remained significant when accounting for the number of infant-initiated conversations at 6 months. Our findings indicate that early interactions with caregivers can have a lasting impact on children's language development, and that the extent to which parents initiate interactions with their infants may be particularly important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia C Salo
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lucy S King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Dietrichson J, Thomsen MK, Seerup JK, Strandby MW, Viinholt BCA, Bengtsen E. PROTOCOL: School-based language, math, and reading interventions for executive functions in children and adolescents: A systematic review. CAMPBELL SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS 2022; 18:e1262. [PMID: 36909886 PMCID: PMC9275554 DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. Our primary objective for this systematic review is to examine if preschool and school-based interventions aimed at improving language, literacy, and/or mathematical skills increase children's and adolescents' executive functions. As a secondary objective, we will examine how the effects of language, literacy, and mathematics interventions on executive functions are moderated by the subject of the intervention, child age or grade, the type of EF measured, and the at-risk status of participants. We will also explore how the effects are moderated by other study characteristics, and estimate the effects of the included interventions on language, literacy, and mathematical skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Dietrichson
- VIVE—The Danish Center for Social Science ResearchCopenhagenDenmark
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