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Egan-Dailey S, Gennetian LA, Magnuson K, Duncan GJ, Yoshikawa H, Fox NA, Noble KG. Child-directed speech in a large sample of U.S. mothers with low income. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 39073390 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Research on early language input and socioeconomic status typically relies on correlations in small convenience samples. Using data from Baby's First Years, this paper assesses the causal impact of monthly, unconditional cash transfers on child-directed speech and child vocalizations among a large, racially diverse sample of low-income U.S. mothers and their 1-year-olds (N = 563; 48% girls; 2019-2020). The monthly, unconditional cash transfers did not impact mothers' child-directed speech during a 10-min at-home play session (effect sizes range from -.08 to .02), though there was wide variability within this sample. Future work will assess the impact of the continued cash transfer on children's language input and development over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Greg J Duncan
- University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Nathan A Fox
- University of Maryland-College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
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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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Tian J, Bennett-Pierre G, Tavassolie N, Newcombe NS, Weinraub M, Hindman AH, Newton KJ, Gunderson EA. A Growth Mindset Message Leads Parents to Choose More Challenging Learning Activities. J Intell 2023; 11:193. [PMID: 37888425 PMCID: PMC10607904 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11100193] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior research has shown that the home learning environment (HLE) is critical in the development of spatial skills and that various parental beliefs influence the HLE. However, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of different parental beliefs on the spatial HLE remains lacking, leaving unanswered questions about which specific parental beliefs are most influential and whether inducing a growth mindset can enhance the spatial HLE. To address these gaps, we conducted an online study with parents of 3- to 5-year-olds. We found that parents' growth mindset about their children's ability strongly predicted the spatial HLE after controlling for parents' motivational beliefs about their children, beliefs about their own ability, children's age, children's gender, and family SES. Further, reading an article about growth mindset led parents to choose more challenging spatial learning activities for their children. These findings highlight the critical role of parents' growth mindset in the spatial HLE. Crucially, these findings demonstrate that general growth mindset messages without specific suggestions for parental practices can influence parental behavior intentions. Further, these effects were also observed in the control domain of literacy, underscoring the broad relevance of the growth mindset in the HLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Tian
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Grace Bennett-Pierre
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (G.B.-P.); (N.T.); (N.S.N.); (M.W.)
| | - Nadia Tavassolie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (G.B.-P.); (N.T.); (N.S.N.); (M.W.)
| | - Nora S. Newcombe
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (G.B.-P.); (N.T.); (N.S.N.); (M.W.)
| | - Marsha Weinraub
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (G.B.-P.); (N.T.); (N.S.N.); (M.W.)
| | - Annemarie H. Hindman
- College of Education and Human Development, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.H.H.); (K.J.N.)
| | - Kristie J. Newton
- College of Education and Human Development, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.H.H.); (K.J.N.)
| | - Elizabeth A. Gunderson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Kolak J, Monaghan P, Taylor G. Language in educational apps for pre-schoolers. A comparison of grammatical constructions and psycholinguistic features in apps, books and child directed speech. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023; 50:895-921. [PMID: 35481491 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Language in touchscreen apps could be useful as an additional source of children's language input, alongside child directed speech (CDS) and books. Here we performed the first analysis of language in apps, as compared with books and CDS. We analysed language in 18 of the most popular educational apps targeting pre-schoolers and compared their language content to children's books and CDS with respect to types of constructions and psycholinguistic features of words. We found that apps contained lower frequency words and had lower lexical diversity compared to CDS, and shorter utterances compared to books. Apps may thus provide an enriched supplementary form of input for young children, due to containing less frequent words. However, apps do not expose children to a high proportion of questions and complex sentences, both of which are crucial for supporting child's development of structurally rich constructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kolak
- Department of Psychology, School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
| | - Padraic Monaghan
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
- Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gemma Taylor
- Department of Psychology, School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
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DesJardin JL, Stika CJ, Eisenberg LS, Johnson KC, Ganguly DH, Henning SC. Home Literacy Experiences and Shared Reading Practices: Preschoolers With Hearing Loss. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2023; 28:189-200. [PMID: 36617254 PMCID: PMC10373947 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Home literacy experiences and observed parent and child behaviors during shared book reading were investigated in preschool-age children with hearing loss and with typical hearing to examine the relationships between those factors and children's language skills. The methods involved parent-reported home literacy experiences and videotaped parent-child dyads during shared book reading. Children's language skills were tested using the Preschool Language Scale-4. The results indicated significant differences between groups for home literacy experiences and observed parent and child behaviors. Parents of children with hearing loss were found to read more frequently to their children than parents of children with typical hearing, yet scored lower for literacy strategies and teaching techniques compared to parents of children with typical hearing. Children with hearing loss scored lower in interactive reading behaviors compared to children with typical hearing. For children with hearing loss, frequency of book reading and child interactive reading behaviors were strong predictive factors for children's language skills. These results suggest that families of children with hearing loss would benefit from professional support as they read storybooks to their children. Similarly, children with hearing loss should be encouraged to be more interactive during shared book reading.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carren J Stika
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Audiology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laurie S Eisenberg
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Karen C Johnson
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dianne Hammes Ganguly
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shirley C Henning
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Yan S, Li M, Yan Z, Hu B, Zeng L, Lv B. Associations among teacher-child interaction, children's executive function and children's comprehensible vocabulary. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1077634. [PMID: 36969678 PMCID: PMC10030885 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1077634] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To understand the working mechanism and the relationships among the quality of teacher-child interaction (TCI), children's comprehensible vocabulary (CV) and executive function (EF). Methods Using stratified sampling, 900 children (boys 50.2%) and 60 preschool teachers were recruited from 4 places in China for testing, and five measurement tools, including the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-R), the Stroop test, a card sorting task, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), were used. Results For every additional unit of TCI, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of EF, CV increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, TCI increases by 0.38 units; For every additional unit of TCI, CV increases by 0.38 units. In the Model of TCI-EF-CV, the estimated value of TCI and the total effect of comprehensible vocabulary is 0.18; Z = 9.84, which is significantly greater than 1.96 at the bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and at the percentile 95% confidence interval (0.15, 0.23), both of which do not contain 0. The direct effect of TCI and CV is significant and indirect effects account for 39%. In the Model of TCI-CV-EF, the total effect of TCI on executive function is 0.09 (Z = 6.14), the direct effect is not significant with bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and 95% confidence interval (-0.01, 0.03), both of which include 0. Conclusion There are two-way effects among children's EF and CV, TCI and CV. EF plays a mediating role in the influence of TCI on CV. TCI positively predicts children's EF, but this mainly depends on CV. Therefore, TCI plays a positive role in the development of children's CV and EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Min Li
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhonglian Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Biying Hu
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Li Zeng
- Faculty of Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bo Lv
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Petrie A, Mayr R, Zhao F, Montanari S. Parent-child interaction during storybook reading: wordless narrative books versus books with text. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023; 50:104-131. [PMID: 34789359 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000921000763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the content and function of parent-child talk while engaging in shared storybook reading with two narrative books: a wordless book versus a book with text. Thirty-six parents audio-recorded themselves reading one of the books at home with their 3.5-5.5-year-old children. Pragmatic and linguistic measures of parental and child talk during both narrative storytelling and dialogic interactions were compared between the wordless and book-with-text conditions. The results show that the wordless book engendered more interaction than the book-with-text, with a higher rate of parental prompts and responsive feedback, and significantly more child contributions, although lexical diversity and grammatical complexity of parental language were higher during narration using a book-with-text. The findings contribute to research on shared storybook reading suggesting that different book formats can promote qualitatively different language learning environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Petrie
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Robert Mayr
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Fei Zhao
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Simona Montanari
- Department of Child & Family Studies, California State University, Los Angeles, USA
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de Bondt MG, Bus AG. Tracking the long-term effects of the Bookstart intervention: Associations with temperament and book-reading habits. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Dicataldo R, Rowe ML, Roch M. “Let’s Read Together”: A Parent-Focused Intervention on Dialogic Book Reading to Improve Early Language and Literacy Skills in Preschool Children. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9081149. [PMID: 36010039 PMCID: PMC9406408 DOI: 10.3390/children9081149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many children are at risk for reading difficulties because of inadequate emergent literacy skills. It is widely accepted that development of emergent literacy skills is strictly related to children’s early literacy experiences at home and school. Dialogic reading is an evidence-based intervention to promote the language skills of preschool children. This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of a parent-focused dialogic book reading intervention that aimed to foster the early language and literacy skills of pre-school children. A sample of 40 Italian preschoolers (Mage = 62.9 months, SD = 6.3) and their parents were divided into three groups: treatment group (n = 12); information group (n = 12) and control group (n = 16). The efficacy of the intervention for oral language skills was examined by analyzing the improvements from pre- to post-intervention in children’s oral language outcomes, through ad hoc and standardized tasks; specifically, by measuring proximal and distal abilities. Additionally, we analyzed the intervention effects on parent–child interaction and dialogic behaviors during shared book reading. Results suggest that a relatively brief intervention (6 weeks) using dialogic book reading strategies can lead to sustained improvements in early language and literacy skills in preschoolers (both proximal and distal) and in parent dialogic behaviors during shared book reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Dicataldo
- Department of Development and Socialization Psychology, University of Padua, 35122 Padova, Italy;
| | - Meredith L. Rowe
- Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Maja Roch
- Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Nicolopoulou A, Ilgaz H, Shiro M, Hsin LB. "And they had a big, big, very long fight:" The development of evaluative language in preschoolers' oral fictional stories told in a peer-group context. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2022; 49:522-551. [PMID: 33845930 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000921000209] [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: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the development of evaluative language in preschoolers' oral fictional narratives using a storytelling/story-acting practice where children told stories to and for their friends. Evaluative language orients the audience to the teller's cognitive and emotional engagement with a story's events and characters, and we hypothesized that this STSA context might yield new information about the early development of this language, prior to elementary school. We analyzed 60 stories: the first and last story told by 10 children in each of three preschool classrooms (3-, 4-, and 5-year-old classes) that used STSA throughout the school year. Stories were coded for evaluative expressions and evidential expressions. Five-year-olds used significantly more evaluative language than did 3-year-olds, and children at all ages used significantly more evaluative language at the end than at the beginning of the year. The number of stories told throughout the year explained unique variance in children's evaluative language growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marta Shiro
- Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela & Florida Atlantic University, USA
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Lewis M, Cooper Borkenhagen M, Converse E, Lupyan G, Seidenberg MS. What Might Books Be Teaching Young Children About Gender? Psychol Sci 2021; 33:33-47. [PMID: 34939508 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211024643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated how gender is represented in children's books using a novel 200,000-word corpus comprising 247 popular, contemporary books for young children. Using adult human judgments and word co-occurrence data, we quantified gender biases of words in individual books and in the whole corpus. We found that children's books contain many words that adults judge as gendered. Semantic analyses based on co-occurrence data yielded word clusters related to gender stereotypes (e.g., feminine: emotions; masculine: tools). Co-occurrence data also indicated that many books instantiate gender stereotypes identified in other research (e.g., girls are better at reading, and boys are better at math). Finally, we used large-scale data to estimate the gender distribution of the audience for individual books, and we found that children are more often exposed to stereotypes for their own gender. Together, the data suggest that children's books may be an early source of gender associations and stereotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Lewis
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University.,Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
| | | | - Ellen Converse
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Gary Lupyan
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Weinstein G, Cohn-Schwartz E, Damri N. Book-Oriented Environment in Childhood and Current Cognitive Performance among Old-Aged Europeans. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2021; 50:274-282. [PMID: 34515091 DOI: 10.1159/000518129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Identifying early-life factors that protect against compromised late-life cognition is of great public health interest. We aimed to explore the associations between book-oriented environment in childhood and late-life cognitive performance in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). METHODS The sample included 8,239 individuals aged ≥65 years (N = 8,239) free of stroke, Parkinson's disease, or Alzheimer's disease, who participated in both waves 4 (2011) and 5 (2013) of SHARE. Book-oriented environment was assessed by the self-reported home library size during childhood. Cognitive performance was assessed using tests of memory and verbal fluency. Covariates included education and measures of current health, lifestyle, and financial status. Additionally, interactions with age and education were assessed. RESULTS After controlling for potential confounders, having large home libraries was related to better performance on the immediate and delayed memory (β = 0.11 ± 0.02, p < 0.001; β = 0.13 ± 0.02, p < 0.001) and the verbal fluency tests (β = 0.14 ± 0.06, p < 0.001) and to a lesser decline in these domains (β = 0.08 ± 0.01, p < 0.001; β = 0.09 ± 0.02, p < 0.001; and β = 0.09 ± 0.06, p < 0.001, respectively). Significant interactions were observed between library size and age such that larger home library was more strongly associated with improved immediate memory (p = 0.016), delayed memory (p < 0.001), and verbal fluency (p = 0.003) and with less cognitive decline (p = 0.013, p < 0.001, and p = 0.095, respectively) among the younger-old (<80 years) compared to the oldest-old (≥80 years) participants. No effect modification by education was observed. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that early-life book-oriented environment may be important in shaping cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galit Weinstein
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ella Cohn-Schwartz
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Noam Damri
- Israel Gerontological Data Center, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Breitfeld E, Potter CE, Lew-Williams C. Children simultaneously learn multiple dimensions of information during shared book reading. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:744-766. [PMID: 34744519 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1939353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Picture books inherently contain many parallel dimensions of information and serve as a rich source of input for children. However, studies of children's learning from picture books tend to focus on a single type of information (e.g., novel words). To better understand the learning-related potential of shared book reading, we examined 4.5- to 5.5-year-old children's simultaneous learning of novel words, moral lessons, and story details from a reading interaction with a parent. Results showed that children successfully learned new words, extracted a moral lesson, and recalled story details from the picture book. Contrary to expectations, children's learning was equally strong regardless of whether or not parents were prompted to focus on learning as the key purpose of book reading. This research demonstrates that children learn diverse information presented across different time scales from picture books.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Breitfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison
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Hamilton LG, Hayiou‐Thomas ME, Snowling MJ. Shared storybook reading with children at family risk of dyslexia. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING 2021; 44:859-881. [PMID: 35368878 PMCID: PMC8940243 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9817.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shared storybook reading is an important context for language learning and often constitutes young children's first encounter with the printed word. The quality of early shared reading interactions is a known predictor of language and reading development, but few studies have examined these interactions in children at family risk of dyslexia. METHODS This exploratory study describes the quality of shared storybook reading between mothers and their 3- to 4-year-old children at family risk of dyslexia (FR; n = 18) in comparison with dyads with no known risk (no-FR; n = 13). Mother-child interactions while sharing a familiar and an unfamiliar storybook were coded for type of extra-textual talk (meaning-related talk at the concrete and abstract levels; print-related talk) and affective quality. Maternal and child language and literacy skills were considered as potential correlates of shared reading quality. RESULTS The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading was broadly comparable across FR and no-FR dyads, particularly when sharing a book they knew well, with large within-group variation. Mothers contributed more concrete meaning-related talk when introducing an unfamiliar book to their children; children contributed more extra-textual talk overall when sharing a familiar book. Maternal language, but not reading, skills were related to the linguistic quality of shared reading. The affective quality of reading interactions was rated more highly in dyads where mothers and children had stronger language skills. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the quality of shared reading does not vary systematically as a function of children's risk of dyslexia but is related to maternal language skills. This finding needs to be replicated in a larger sample in order to better understand the risk and protective factors associated with dyslexia. HIGHLIGHTS What is already known about this topic The quality of extra-textual talk during shared reading between parents and preschoolers predicts later language and literacy outcomes in typically developing children.The affective quality of early shared reading predicts children's motivation to read independently in later childhood.Children at family risk of dyslexia are more likely than their peers with no family risk to have difficulty learning to read and may show weaknesses in oral language skills. What this paper adds The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading between mothers and preschool children is broadly similar when children are at family risk of dyslexia compared with no family risk.The type and quantity of extra-textual talk contributed by mothers and children appears to differ according to the familiarity of the storybook, but replication of the findings in a larger sample is required.The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading is related to maternal language skills. Implications for theory, policy or practice Shared storybook reading offers rich language learning opportunities for children at family risk of dyslexia.Maternal language skills may be an important determinant of the interactional quality of shared reading.The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading is not clearly associated with maternal reading difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna G. Hamilton
- School of Education, Language and PsychologyYork St John UniversityYorkUK
| | | | - Margaret J. Snowling
- Department of Experimental Psychology and St John's CollegeUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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Michaud M, Roy-Charland A, Richard J, Nazair A, Perron M. The Role of Vocabulary Skills in a Storybook-Based Intervention to Stimulate Emotion Comprehension in Preschoolers. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2021; 182:471-487. [PMID: 34455920 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2021.1969884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Understanding emotions is an important predictor of children's mental health and school adjustment. However, interventions to improve this skill are not always accessible to all children. In 2019, Roy, Dénommée, and Quenneville developed stories with content specifically designed to 'teach' about emotions. Because it is a literacy-oriented intervention, it is possible that vocabulary may play a role in learning. This project explored the role of vocabulary in understanding emotion in preschool children and its learning. Forty-three preschoolers (19 control and 24 experimental) were evaluated on vocabulary skills and emotion comprehension. For multiple components, results showed an effect of time of measure, regardless of group. However, the addition of receptive vocabulary as a covariate made this effect non-significant. Results revealed that the stories were an effective strategy in promoting emotion comprehension for Components Belief and Reminder; two skills that are in the process of development in this age group. Furthermore, vocabulary skills did not impact the interaction for Belief for post-test gains and, for Reminder, while emotional vocabulary skills impacted the interaction at post-test, receptive vocabulary did not.
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Harris S, Owen Van Horne AJ. Turn the Page, Speech-Language Pathologists: Adequate, Authentic, and Accurate Representation as a Consideration in the Selection of Picture Books for Use in Treatment. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2021; 52:955-966. [PMID: 34370956 DOI: 10.1044/2021_lshss-20-00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose This tutorial discusses what it means to be a culturally responsive speech-language pathologist (SLP) and then grounds this discussion in strategies that SLPs can engage in to diversify the books and other materials that they use in clinical practice. Method We motivate the tutorial by reviewing policy statements and theoretical information from allied literature. Then, we suggest some ways that SLPs can reflect on their practice to enact an antiracist/culturally responsive approach to treatment, taking the selection of children's literature up as a particular example. We identified strategies that have been suggested across a variety of fields and illustrate these strategies with examples. We both provide recommendations for how to select picture books and also suggest ways to implement these suggestions with accountability. Conclusions There is a need for SLPs to reflect on how to be culturally responsive in their practice and to review their materials selection practices with regard to how materials reflect the composition of their caseloads. As a predominantly White profession serving diverse caseloads, we have an ethical obligation to review our choice of materials and align them with culturally responsive practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierrah Harris
- Red Clay Consolidated School District, Wilmington, DE.,Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Delaware,Newark
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Müller-Brauers C, Miosga C, Fischer S, Maus A, Potthast I. Narrative Potential of Picture-Book Apps: A Media- and Interaction-Oriented Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:593482. [PMID: 33343464 PMCID: PMC7738561 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.593482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital literature is playing an increasingly important role in children's everyday lives and opening up new paths for family literacy and early childhood education. However, despite positive effects of electronic books and picture-book apps on vocabulary learning, early writing, or phonological awareness, research findings on early narrative skills are ambiguous. Particularly, there still is a research gap regarding how app materiality affects children's story understanding. Thus, based on the ViSAR model for picture-book app analysis and data stemming from 12 digital reading dyads containing German monolingual 2- to 3-year-olds and their caregivers this study assessed the narrative potential of a commercial picture-book app and how this is used in interaction. Results of the media analysis showed that the app provides a high number of narrative animations. These animations could be used interactively to engage the child in the story. However, results of the interaction analysis showed that adult readers do not exploit this potential due to their strong concentration on operative prompts and instructions. Furthermore, an explorative analysis of the relation between adults' utterances and children's story comprehension provided preliminary indicators regarding how the length of reading duration and the number of utterances might relate to children's understanding of the story. Findings and methodological limitations of the study are discussed and combined didactically with practical recommendations on how to use narrative animations in interaction effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Müller-Brauers
- Department Didaktik der Symbolsysteme - Schwerpunkt Deutsch (Didactics of Symbol Systems - German), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Christiane Miosga
- Department Sprach-Pädagogik und -Therapie (Department of Speech and Language Pedagogy and Therapy), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Silke Fischer
- Department Didaktik der Symbolsysteme - Schwerpunkt Deutsch (Didactics of Symbol Systems - German), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Alina Maus
- Department Didaktik der Symbolsysteme - Schwerpunkt Deutsch (Didactics of Symbol Systems - German), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany.,Department Sprach-Pädagogik und -Therapie (Department of Speech and Language Pedagogy and Therapy), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Ines Potthast
- Department Didaktik der Symbolsysteme - Schwerpunkt Deutsch (Didactics of Symbol Systems - German), Institute for Special Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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Paynter J, Simpson K, O’Leary K, Hurley A, Wicks R, Westerveld M. Development of an Online Training Program for Public Library Staff to Deliver Autism Friendly Story Time Sessions. JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION ASSOCIATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750158.2020.1836949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Paynter
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kate Simpson
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia
- Autism Centre of Excellence, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Kate O’Leary
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Andrea Hurley
- First 5 Forever, Library Services, Lifestyle and Community Services, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Rachelle Wicks
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marleen Westerveld
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
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Muhinyi A, Hesketh A, Stewart AJ, Rowland CF. Story choice matters for caregiver extra-textual talk during shared reading with preschoolers. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2020; 47:633-654. [PMID: 31791438 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000919000783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the influence of the complexity of the story-book on caregiver extra-textual talk (i.e., interactions beyond text reading) during shared reading with preschool-age children. Fifty-three mother-child dyads (3;00-4;11) were video-recorded sharing two ostensibly similar picture-books: a simple story (containing no false belief) and a complex story (containing a false belief central to the plot, which provided content that was more challenging for preschoolers to understand). Book-reading interactions were transcribed and coded. Results showed that the complex stories facilitated more extra-textual talk from mothers, and a higher quality of extra-textual talk (as indexed by linguistic richness and level of abstraction). Although the type of story did not affect the number of questions mothers posed, more elaborative follow-ups on children's responses were provided by mothers when sharing complex stories. Complex stories may facilitate more and linguistically richer caregiver extra-textual talk, having implications for preschoolers' developing language abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Caroline F Rowland
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, University of Liverpool, UK
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Neuroscience at Radboud University, the Netherlands
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Shared Book Reading Behaviors of Parents and Their Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3005-3017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04406-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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21
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Effects of Early Literacy Promotion on Child Language Development and Home Reading Environment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. THE JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS: X 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympdx.2020.100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Erkel M, Abregu Del Pino V, Bayer AM. Exploring the Literacy Habits of Caregivers with Young Children Ages 11-25 Months Old in Lima, Peru: A Pilot Study for the LIBRE Project. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION JOURNAL 2019; 47:731-741. [PMID: 34149278 PMCID: PMC8210920 DOI: 10.1007/s10643-019-00954-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Peruvian children's sub-optimal results on international and national assessments underscore the need for enhanced investments in early childhood development (ECD) such as shared reading between caregivers and young children. We conducted a qualitative study with 13 mothers of young children ages 11-25 months old that: used focus groups to explore caregivers' perspectives and experiences related to their daily activities, including reading and other ECD activities, with their young children; and used focus groups and video recordings to describe caregivers' experiences reading with these children during an at-home opportunity for shared reading. The mothers described daily schedules that focused on taking care of their daily chores and making sure that their young children were busy as they carried out those tasks. The mothers reported that they did not designate dedicated times to spend with their children and children were often without adult attention for lengthy periods of time. We found that after the one-month at-home opportunity for shared reading, there was a definite positive shift in both mothers' engagement with their children and their perspectives on reading. The caregivers improved their daily interactions with their children and observed important changes in their children thanks to reading. This study is encouraging and justifies a follow up randomized control trial to implement and evaluate the LIBRE shared reading program in Lima, Peru.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Erkel
- Kuskaya Program, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Vicky Abregu Del Pino
- Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Angela M Bayer
- Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
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Weisleder A, Cates CB, Harding JF, Johnson SB, Canfield CF, Seery AM, Raak CD, Alonso A, Dreyer BP, Mendelsohn AL. Links between Shared Reading and Play, Parent Psychosocial Functioning, and Child Behavior: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pediatr 2019; 213:187-195.e1. [PMID: 31399245 PMCID: PMC6765415 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate pathways by which interventions that promote shared reading and play help prevent child behavior problems. We examined whether family processes associated with the family investment pathway (eg, parental cognitive stimulation) and the family stress pathway (eg, mothers' psychosocial functioning) mediated impacts of a pediatric-based preventive intervention on child behavior. STUDY DESIGN The sample included 362 low-income mothers and their children who participated in a randomized controlled trial of the Video Interaction Project, a pediatrics-based preventive intervention that promotes parent-child interactions in the context of shared reading and play. Parent-child dyads were randomly assigned to group at birth. Three mediators-parental cognitive stimulation, maternal stress about the parent-child relationship, and maternal depressive symptoms-were assessed at child ages 6 and 36 months. The outcome, child externalizing behaviors, was assessed at 36 months. We used a series of path analytic models to examine how these family processes, separately or together, mediated the impacts of the Video Interaction Project on child behavioral outcomes. RESULTS Intervention impacts on child behavior were mediated by enhancements in cognitive stimulation and by improvements in mothers' psychosocial functioning. A sequential mediation model showed that Video Interaction Project impacts on cognitive stimulation at 6 months were associated with later decreases in mothers' stress about the parent-child relationship and that this pathway mediated intervention impacts on child behavioral outcomes at 3 years of age (P = .023). CONCLUSIONS Using an experimental design, this study identifies pathways by which parent-child interactions in shared reading and play can improve child behavioral outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00212576.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Weisleder
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY; Northwestern University, Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Evanston, IL.
| | - Carolyn Brockmeyer Cates
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY; SUNY Purchase College, Department of Psychology, Purchase, NY
| | | | - Samantha B Johnson
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY; Marymount Manhattan College, Department of Psychology, New York, NY
| | - Caitlin F Canfield
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Anne M Seery
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Caroline D Raak
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Angelica Alonso
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Benard P Dreyer
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Alan L Mendelsohn
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY
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Montag JL. Differences in sentence complexity in the text of children's picture books and child-directed speech. FIRST LANGUAGE 2019; 39:527-546. [PMID: 31564759 PMCID: PMC6764450 DOI: 10.1177/0142723719849996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Reading picture books to pre-literate children is associated with improved language outcomes, but the causal pathways of this relationship are not well understood. The present analyses focus on several syntactic differences between the text of children's picture books and typical child-directed speech, with the aim of understanding ways in which picture book text may systematically differ from typical child-directed speech. The analyses show that picture books contain more rare and complex sentence types, including passive sentences and sentences containing relative clauses, than does child-directed speech. These differences in the patterns of language contained in picture books and typical child-directed speech suggest that one important means by which picture book reading may come to be associated with improved language outcomes is by providing children with types of complex language that might be otherwise rare in their input.
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Brown MI, Trembath D, Westerveld MF, Gillon GT. A Pilot Study of Early Storybook Reading With Babies With Hearing Loss. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:3397-3412. [PMID: 31518512 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-17-0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This pilot study explored the effectiveness of an early storybook reading (ESR) intervention for parents with babies with hearing loss (HL) for improving (a) parents' book selection skills, (b) parent-child eye contact, and (c) parent-child turn-taking. Advancing research into ESR, this study examined whether the benefits from an ESR intervention reported for babies without HL were also observed in babies with HL. Method Four mother-baby dyads participated in a multiple baseline single-case experimental design across behaviors. Treatment effects for parents' book selection skills, parent-child eye contact, and parent-child turn-taking were examined using visual analysis and Tau-U analysis. Results Statistically significant increases, with large to very large effect sizes, were observed for all 4 participants for parent-child eye contact and parent-child turn-taking. Limited improvements with ceiling effects were observed for parents' book selection skills. Conclusion The findings provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of an ESR intervention for babies with HL for promoting parent-child interactions through eye contact and turn-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle I Brown
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Trembath
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marleen F Westerveld
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gail T Gillon
- College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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McNally S, McCrory C, Quigley J, Murray A. Decomposing the social gradient in children's vocabulary skills at 3 years of age: A mediation analysis using data from a large representative cohort study. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 57:101326. [PMID: 31125856 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Disparities in children's expressive language by socio-economic status are evident early in childhood and impact children's development and educational attainment. This study investigated the processes by which maternal education, as a powerful indicator for socio-economic status, affects early expressive language. A nationally representative cohort study of 8,062 children resident in the Republic of Ireland were assessed on the British Ability Scales (BAS) Naming Vocabulary Test at 36 months. A significant difference of almost six points was found between the mean vocabulary test scores of children whose mothers had completed the minimum level of educational attainment compared with children whose mothers had a degree-level qualification. Mediation analysis revealed that 78% of the difference was explained by mediating variables, with differences in household income, parental practice, and material resources accounting for most of the variation. The findings support interventions which redress gaps in maternal education, income, and caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad McNally
- Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland.
| | - Cathal McCrory
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Jean Quigley
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Aisling Murray
- Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
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Golinkoff RM, Hoff E, Rowe ML, Tamis-LeMonda CS, Hirsh-Pasek K. Language Matters: Denying the Existence of the 30-Million-Word Gap Has Serious Consequences. Child Dev 2019; 90:985-992. [PMID: 30102419 PMCID: PMC10370358 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Sperry, Sperry, and Miller (2018) aim to debunk what is called the 30-million-word gap by claiming that children from lower income households hear more speech than Hart and Risley () reported. We address why the 30-million-word gap should not be abandoned, and the importance of retaining focus on the vital ingredient to language learning-quality speech directed to children rather than overheard speech, the focus of Sperry et al.'s argument. Three issues are addressed: Whether there is a language gap; the characteristics of speech that promote language development; and the importance of language in school achievement. There are serious risks to claims that low-income children, on average, hear sufficient, high-quality language relative to peers from higher income homes.
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Montag JL, Jones MN, Smith LB. Quantity and Diversity: Simulating Early Word Learning Environments. Cogn Sci 2018; 42 Suppl 2:375-412. [PMID: 29411899 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The words in children's language learning environments are strongly predictive of cognitive development and school achievement. But how do we measure language environments and do so at the scale of the many words that children hear day in, day out? The quantity and quality of words in a child's input are typically measured in terms of total amount of talk and the lexical diversity in that talk. There are disagreements in the literature whether amount or diversity is the more critical measure of the input. Here we analyze the properties of a large corpus (6.5 million words) of speech to children and simulate learning environments that differ in amount of talk per unit time, lexical diversity, and the contexts of talk. The central conclusion is that what researchers need to theoretically understand, measure, and change is not the total amount of words, or the diversity of words, but the function that relates total words to the diversity of words, and how that function changes across different contexts of talk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael N Jones
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
| | - Linda B Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
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30
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Shared reading in infancy and later development: Evidence from an early intervention. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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31
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Branyon AP. “A Home for Me When I Am So Far from Home”: Perceptions of Libraries by Immigrant Mothers in Language Acquisition and Cultural Acclimation. PUBLIC LIBRARY QUARTERLY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/01616846.2017.1316147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Gardner-Neblett N, Holochwost SJ, Gallagher KC, Iruka IU, Odom SL, Bruno EP. Books and Toddlers in Child Care: Under What Conditions are Children Most Engaged? CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-017-9391-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Mascarenhas SS, Moorakonda R, Agarwal P, Lim SB, Sensaki S, Chong YS, Allen JC, Daniel LM. Characteristics and influence of home literacy environment in early childhood-centered literacy orientation. PROCEEDINGS OF SINGAPORE HEALTHCARE 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/2010105816674738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The home literacy environment (HLE) and joint parent–child book reading are key factors in children’s language and literacy acquisition. Child-centered literacy orientation (CCLO) refers to the child’s level of engagement in literacy events. Aim: To describe the HLE and identify demographic and HLE variables associated with a poor CCLO at 12 months of age. Methods: Parents of Singaporean children enrolled in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO; n = 1152, birth cohort 2009–2010) completed a childhood literacy questionnaire at 12 months to obtain scores on HLE (0–17) and CCLO (0–6). Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictors of low CCLO. Results: Parents of 525 children completed the questionnaire. Mothers were the main caregivers in half the households. Mandarin was the main language (34%). Majority of the respondents had a library card that was used less than weekly, and had fewer than 10 children’s books. 18% of parents read to the child daily, of whom one-quarter read at bedtime. Amongst half of the families who had a CCLO score of 0, two-thirds had the lowest HLE scores (0–2). Correlational analyses indicated significant association between HLE with CCLO at 12 months ( p < 0.001). Non-English speaking caregivers and mothers who had only completed primary education were at high risk of a poor 12-month CCLO. Conclusion: A literacy-rich home environment is associated with 12-month child-centered literacy orientation. Pediatricians and early years’ professionals may be able to promote benefits of literacy related activities to families at risk of poor child-centered literacy orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Sylvia Mascarenhas
- Department of Child Development, KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - Rajesh Moorakonda
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
- Singapore Clinical Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Pratibha Agarwal
- Department of Neonatology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
| | - Sok Bee Lim
- Department of Child Development, KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore
| | | | - Yap Seng Chong
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | | | - Lourdes Mary Daniel
- Department of Child Development, KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore
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Treiman R, Rosales N, Kessler B. Characteristics of Print in Books for Preschool Children. WRITING SYSTEMS RESEARCH 2016; 8:120-132. [PMID: 27239231 DOI: 10.1080/17586801.2015.1074058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Children begin to learn about the characteristics of print well before formal literacy instruction begins. Reading to children can expose them to print and help them learn about its characteristics. This may be especially true if the print is visually salient, for studies suggest that prereaders pay more attention to such print than to print that is visually less salient. To shed light on the characteristics of the print that US children see in books, especially those characteristics that may contribute to visual salience, we report a quantitative analysis of 73 books that were chosen to be representative of those seen by preschoolers. We found that print that is visually salient due to color, variation, and other features tends to be more common on the covers of books than in the interiors. It also tends to be more common in recently published books than in older books. Even in recent books, however, the print is much less visually salient than the accompanying pictures. Many studies have examined the behavior of adults and children during shared reading, but little research has examined the characteristics of books themselves. Our results provide quantitative information about this topic for one set of characteristics in books for young US children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Treiman
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Nicole Rosales
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Brett Kessler
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
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Ninio A. Bids for joint attention by parent-child dyads and by dyads of young peers in interaction. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2016; 43:135-156. [PMID: 25702839 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000915000082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Before they are 3;0-3;6, children typically do not engage with peers in focused interaction, although they do with adults. With parents, children interact around the 'here-and-now'. We hypothesize that young peers do not attempt to establish joint attention to present objects. Using the CHILDES database, we compared attention-directives produced by parents to children, children to peers, and children to parents. Of 391 English-speaking parents, 88% generated attention-directives, mostly Look!, See!, and Watch! Of 15 children (2;10-3;7) engaging in dyadic peer-interaction, only 26% produced such utterances. By comparison, 62% of 268 children (1;2-3;3) addressed such directives to parents. Interaction with peers in young children does not involve joint attention to a shared environmental focus, although it does with parents. The reason may be pragmatic: shared attention in parent-child dyads is a means to get information or help; it may seem pointless for a child to address such directives to a peer.
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Méndez LI, Crais ER, Castro DC, Kainz K. A culturally and linguistically responsive vocabulary approach for young Latino dual language learners. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2015; 58:93-106. [PMID: 25480450 PMCID: PMC6195052 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-l-12-0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined the role of the language of vocabulary instruction in promoting English vocabulary in preschool Latino dual language learners (DLLs). The authors compared the effectiveness of delivering a single evidence-informed vocabulary approach using English as the language of vocabulary instruction (English culturally responsive [ECR]) versus using a bilingual modality that strategically combined Spanish and English (culturally and linguistically responsive [CLR]). METHOD Forty-two DLL Spanish-speaking preschoolers were randomly assigned to the ECR group (n=22) or CLR group (n=20). Thirty English words were presented during small-group shared readings in their preschools 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Multilevel models were used to examine group differences in postinstruction scores on 2 Spanish and 2 English vocabulary assessments at instruction end and follow-up. RESULTS Children receiving instruction in the CLR bilingual modality had significantly higher posttest scores (than those receiving the ECR English-only instruction) on Spanish and English vocabulary assessments at instruction end and on the Spanish vocabulary assessment at follow-up, even after controlling for preinstruction scores. CONCLUSIONS The results provide additional evidence of the benefits of strategically combining the first and second language to promote English and Spanish vocabulary development in this population. Future directions for research and clinical applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kirsten Kainz
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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DesJardin JL, Doll ER, Stika CJ, Eisenberg LS, Johnson KJ, Ganguly DH, Colson BG, Henning SC. Parental Support for Language Development During Joint Book Reading for Young Children With Hearing Loss. COMMUNICATION DISORDERS QUARTERLY 2014; 35:167-181. [PMID: 25309136 PMCID: PMC4191727 DOI: 10.1177/1525740113518062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Parent and child joint book reading (JBR) characteristics and parent facilitative language techniques (FLTs) were investigated in two groups of parents and their young children; children with normal hearing (NH; n = 60) and children with hearing loss (HL; n = 45). Parent-child dyads were videotaped during JBR interactions, and parent and child behaviors were coded for specific JBR behaviors using a scale developed for this study. Children's oral language skills were assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-4 (PLS-4). Parents of children with HL scored higher on two of the four subscales of JBR: Literacy Strategies and Teacher Techniques. Parents of children with NH utilized higher level FLTs with their children who had higher language skills. Higher level FLTs were positively related to children's oral language abilities. Implications are discussed for professionals who work with families of very young children with HL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Laurie S Eisenberg
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Karen J Johnson
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dianne Hammes Ganguly
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Brownell CA, Svetlova M, Anderson R, Nichols SR, Drummond J. Socialization of Early Prosocial Behavior: Parents' Talk about Emotions is Associated with Sharing and Helping in Toddlers. INFANCY 2013; 18:91-119. [PMID: 23264753 PMCID: PMC3524590 DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7078.2012.00125.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
What role does socialization play in the origins of prosocial behavior? We examined one potential socialization mechanism, parents' discourse about others' emotions with very young children in whom prosocial behavior is still nascent. Two studies are reported, one of sharing in 18- and 24-month-olds (n = 29), and one of instrumental and empathy-based helping in 18- and 30-month-olds (n = 62). In both studies, parents read age-appropriate picture books to their children and the content and structure of their emotion-related and internal state discourse were coded. Results showed that children who helped and shared more quickly and more often, especially in tasks that required more complex emotion understanding, had parents who more often asked them to label and explain the emotions depicted in the books. Moreover, it was parents' elicitation of children's talk about emotions rather than parents' own production of emotion labels and explanations that explained children's prosocial behavior, even after controlling for age. Thus, it is the quality, not the quantity, of parents' talk about emotions with their toddlers that matters for early prosocial behavior.
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