Which hand knows the "right" word? What hand selection reveals about vocabulary in pre-and school-aged children.

Abstract

Research has shown that infants with increased right-hand selection for their first gestures perform better at an array of language tasks when they are tested later as toddlers. There is a smaller body of literature which focuses on preschoolers and how their right-handed movements relate to their speech and vocabulary development. Some research has established a connection between right-hand preference for grasping and speech production ability in preschool children, but the link to gestures is relatively unexplored in this age group. We investigated if lateralized gestures (pointing) are related to measures of language development (vocabulary) in a preschool-age sample. Specifically, typically developing children (aged 3-6) completed the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) to assess receptive language. We recorded their hand preference for pointing during the PPVT and the incidence of mistakes (pointing to the wrong picture). Despite the length of the test, children were more likely to select a correct response with their right hand. This result suggests a relationship between lateralized communicative gestures (pointing) and receptive language. This study provides evidence for an intimate relationship between right-handed manual movement and language development. Implications of this finding include developing simple fine-motor tasks to detect and/or ameliorate delayed language development.