Neural oscillations reveal differences in the process of word learning among school-aged children from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Julie Schneider,Jacob Momsen,Mandy J Maguire,Alyson D Abel,Tina C Melamed

doi:10.1162/nol_a_00040

Abstract

Building a robust vocabulary in grade school is essential for academic success. Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) households on average perform below their higher SES peers on word learning tasks, negatively impacting their vocabulary; however, significant variability exists within this group. Many children from low SES homes perform as well as, or better than, their higher SES peers on measures of word learning. The current study addresses what processes underlie this variability, by comparing the neural oscillations of 44 better versus worse word learners (ages 8-15 years) from lower SES households as they infer the meaning of unknown words. Better word learners demonstrated increases in theta and beta power as a word was learned, whereas worse word learners exhibited decreases in alpha power. These group differences in neural oscillatory engagement during word learning indicate there may be different strategies employed based on differences in children's skills. Notably, children with greater vocabulary knowledge are more likely to exhibit larger beta increases; a strategy which is associated with better word learning. This sheds new light on the mechanisms that support word learning in children from low SES households.

Highlights

A child’s ability to learn new words is foundational for subsequent language growth and academic success (Burchinal et al, 2020; Pace et al, 2019)
Based on the substantial evidence implicating the role of theta, alpha, beta, and gamma oscillations in language processing, the current study investigates changes in these frequencies as a word is learned within a low socioeconomic status (SES) population
Since previous studies indicate that vocabulary knowledge mediates SES-related gaps in word learning (Maguire et al, 2018), and that word learning ability mediates SES-related gaps in vocabulary (Shavlik et al, 2020), we sought to clarify which mechanisms underlying word learning are associated with greater vocabulary knowledge

Summary

Introduction

A child’s ability to learn new words is foundational for subsequent language growth and academic success (Burchinal et al, 2020; Pace et al, 2019). Recent evidence indicates children from lower socioeconomic-status (SES) homes perform well below their peers on measures of word learning, including vocabulary acquisition (Bion et al, 2013; Levine et al, 2020; Maguire et al, 2018; Schwab & Lew-Williams, 2016; Spencer & Schuele, 2012; Weisleder & Fernald, 2013). These group differences in word learning ability mediate SES-related gaps in vocabulary knowledge (Shavlik et al, 2020). Understanding how the process of learning a new word differs among children from lower SES households can provide important insights into mechanisms which may serve as compensatory strategies that scaffold later vocabulary

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