Interest-based everyday child language learning

Abstract

IntroductionThis paper includes a description of an intervention model and research on the effectiveness of the model and associated practices that used child interest-based participation in everyday activities as sources of communication and language learning opportunities. MethodologyThe intervention included four components: (a) interest-based child learning opportunities, (b) everyday family and community activities as sources of child learning opportunities, (c) methods for increasing child participation in interest-based everyday activities, and (d) parents’ use of responsive teaching for promoting child communication and language competence. The participants were 21 practitioners and 58 families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays. The intervention was implemented in the children's home by their parents an average of 12 months. Structural equation modeling was used to trace the effects of practitioner and parent fidelity of the intervention practices to rates of child language learning. ResultsThe more children participated in interest-based everyday activities, the greater the growth in the children's language acquisition. The results also showed that practitioner and parent fidelity of use of the practices were indirectly related to changes in children's language development mediated by parents’ judgments of the usefulness of the practices and the frequency of child participation in interest-based everyday activities. Discussion and conclusionResults indicated that incorporating children's interests into everyday child language learning activities was an effective intervention strategy. The difference between practitioner- and parent-implemented everyday child language learning practices are described as are the implications for practice.