Language Development In Children Research Articles

The Impact of Family Size on Social Communication Skills in Monolingual and Bilingual Preschool Children.

Family size is linked tightly with children's language development. Yet, we have a limited understanding of the associations between family size, specifically the number of adults and siblings, and children's social communication skills, particularly in children from diverse linguistic environments. The present study examined the effects of family size on social communication abilities in 4- to 5-year-old monolingual and bilingual children. Parents of 86 English-speaking monolingual children and English-Spanish-speaking bilingual children aged 4-5 years completed the Children's Communication Checklist-Second Edition (CCC-2) to measure the children's social communication skills. Individual subscales covering the pragmatic language aspects (or, for brevity, "pragmatic subscale(s)") in the CCC-2 were considered as outcome variables. Parents also completed interviews where information was obtained regarding the number of family members, including adults and siblings, in the household. Results revealed that the number of adults did not predict children's social communication skills. However, the total number of family members and the number of siblings significantly predicted aspects of children's social communication abilities. Results showed that a smaller family size and fewer number of siblings may be more beneficial to monolingual children, whereas a larger family size and a greater number of siblings may be more favorable to bilingual children. Findings from this study provide early insights into how family-related structures can impact the development of social communication skills in children from varied linguistic backgrounds. That is, family composition differentially affects monolingual and bilingual children's social communication, and they do so for different aspects of pragmatics.

The role of socioeconomic factors and third-party support in language development for children with cochlear implants

It has been reported that the higher the parents’ education level and income, the better language performance after cochlear implant (CI). We investigate whether socioeconomic factors (household income, parental education level, type of family, and location of residence) affect the language performance after CI even when all financial support for examination, hospitalization, surgery, and language rehabilitation program after CI was provided by a third-party. Of the 892 pediatric patients who underwent CI between 2007 and 2020 at our institution, data from 109 patients who received full financial support were analyzed retrospectively. Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and K-Ling test (reading and speech) scores (preoperative and 3, 6 and 12 months postoperative) were analyzed according to socioeconomic factors. With third-party support, there was no significant difference in language performance based on the household income and location of residence. However, there were significant differences in K-ling-reading (phoneme) according to father’s and mother’s education level, K-ling-speech (phoneme, phonology) according to mother’s education level and CAP score according to type of family (single-parent family or not). Additionally, when the mother’s education level was less than a university degree, the mean age at the time of CI surgery was 3.1 years old, higher than 2.7 years old for mothers with a university degree or more (p < 0.001). Parental education level and family type significantly affected language performance following CI, even when financial support was fully provided. Additionally, children underwent CI earlier when the maternal education level was high.

Neuroscientific Discoveries and Their Implications for Early Childhood Language Education

Recent advancements in neuroscience have provided valuable insights into how the brain functions, offering significant potential for enhancing educational practices. Despite this, current neuroscientific findings on how the brain learns - particularly in early childhood language acquisition - are not fully utilized in educational settings. This article investigates the foundational principles of educational neuroscience as an interdisciplinary field, situated at the intersection of neurobiology, pedagogy, and cognitive science. It emphasizes the integration of neuroscientific research into educational practices, specifically focusing on language development during early childhood and assessing the reciprocal influence of education on brain function. The paper traces the origins and progress of neuroscience in education while addressing the terminological ambiguity in modern scientific literature concerning the relationship between neuroscience and education. It also highlights promising pathways for collaboration among psychology, pedagogy, and neuroscience, with special attention to early language learning. A scientometric analysis of key research trends in the neuroscience-education nexus, based on the Scopus scientific literature database, is presented. This study seeks to enhance the dialogue between neuroscientific discoveries and educational applications, advocating for a more integrated approach to improve learning outcomes. It underscores the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration to bridge the gap between theoretical insights from neuroscience and the practical needs of educational environments, particularly in fostering early childhood language development.

Novel Profiles of Family Media Use: Latent Profile Analysis.

Over the past 3 decades, digital and screen media have evolved from broadcast, stationary platforms to a complex environment of interactive, omnipresent, mobile media. Thus, clinical guidance centered around unidimensional concepts such as "screen time" must be modernized to help families navigate the intricate digital ecosystems of readily available entertainment and information. This study aimed to identify and examine distinct latent profiles of media use in families with young children. We hypothesized that latent profile analysis (LPA) would identify different media use profiles characterized by more heavy, reactive, individual, and permissive media use and more intentional, regulated, or shared uses of media. We analyzed data from 398 preschool-aged children. English-speaking parents were recruited through community settings. Participants completed surveys regarding several aspects of family media use, such as child device use or activities, parent concerns and attitudes, limit setting and mediation, parent media use, and technology interference, examined in an LPA. The number of latent media profiles was determined using Bayesian Information Criteria. Parents also completed validated scales of parenting stress, depression symptoms, parenting style, child behavior, child sleep, and household disorganization. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine parent, child, and household predictors of group membership. The LPA yielded 2 distinct groups that differed in the duration of media used by parents and children, to calm children or help them fall asleep. Statistically significant differences between groups included: families in group 1 (n=236, which we termed social-emotional drivers) had parents who preferred interactions via text or email to in-person (P=.01) and were more likely to use media to calm their children (P=.03); in contrast, families in group 2 (n=162, intentional media) used more task-oriented media, like audio and nongame apps (P=.01), had more concerns about effects of media on child language development (P=.04), and used more media restrictions (P=.01). In regression models, female sex of the parent respondent, greater number of siblings, and later child sleep midpoint independently predicted group 1 membership. Findings suggest divergent family media use patterns that can be categorized into 2 main media user groups: those using media to buffer social situations or regulate emotions and those planning mobile device use around functional purposes and concerns around media exposure. Profiles were associated with household size and child sleep. More research is needed to examine the impact of social and emotional uses of media on child outcomes.

Impact of screen time on language development and sleep patterns in children: An observational cohort study

Background: Language development is a crucial aspect of a child’s growth, particularly during the formative years when cognitive and communication skills are rapidly evolving. Screen time exposure has been linked to developmental challenges in children. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between screen time and language development in children aged 6 years, with a specific focus on the role of screen content, sleep patterns, and socioeconomic factors. Materials and Methods: An observational cohort study was conducted over 12 months among 300 children enrolled in local schools in Nandyal. Screen time, sleep duration, and language development scores were assessed using standardized tools. The impact of screen content (educational, entertainment, and gaming) and socioeconomic status on language development was also evaluated. Statistical analyses included correlation and regression tests. Results: The average daily screen time was 3.5±1.2 h, increasing with age. Language development scores were inversely correlated with screen time (r=−0.62, P&lt;0.001), with younger children (6–8 years) being most affected (r=−0.68, P&lt;0.001). Children with screen time &lt;2 h/day had higher language scores (82.7±10.2) than those with &gt;4 h/day (68.9±11.8). Sleep duration decreased with higher screen time, mediating 25% of the adverse impact on language scores. Educational content positively influenced language scores (80.5±9.7), while gaming had the lowest scores (70.2±11.6). Socioeconomic status further modulated the relationship, with the strongest negative effects observed in low-income groups (β=−0.75, P&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Excessive screen time negatively impacts language development and sleep in children, with younger age groups and low socioeconomic status being the most vulnerable. Limiting screen time and promoting educational content may mitigate these effects.

The study of detection and etiology of delayed sensorineural hearing loss in children

Objective:To investigate the detection of the age and pathway and the etiology of sensorineural hearing loss in children, and to guide the early diagnosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the children who passed neonatal hearing screening but were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss in our department from January 2019 to September 2022. The clinical characteristics of 66 children with complete medical history, audiology examination, imaging examination and genetic detection of hearing loss were studied. The age group, detection route and degree of hearing loss were analyzed statistically. Results:①The children were aged from 7 months to 12 years old, and most of them were over 3 years old. ②The ways of detection were as follows: 23 cases（34.85%） due to abnormal hearing, 21 cases（31.82%） due to poor language, 15 cases（22.73%） found during physical examination, and 7 cases（10.61%） found with otitis media. Physical examination findings were concentrated in children aged ≤1 year old or 3-6 years old. ③Among the 56 cases, the degree of binaural hearing loss ranged from mild to severe, and most of those within 3 years of age had severe or above hearing loss. There were statistically significant differences in the degree of hearing loss distribution among different detection approaches（P<0.001）. Most children with hearing or language problems had moderate to severe or above hearing loss, and the proportion was significantly higher than that of children detected during physical examination or otitis media. ④There were 21 cases（31.82%） with a pathogenic mutation of GJB2 gene and 9 cases（13.64%） of large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, 7 of which were related to SLC26A4 gene mutation. There were 8 cases（12.12%） with high risk factors of hearing loss. There was 1 case（1.52%） with progressive speech loss after severe infection and high fever and 1 case（1.52%） with unilateral cochlear nerve dysplasia. Conclusion:Delayed hearing loss can occur at all ages and was not easy to be detected in time. The etiology was related to the mutation of deafness-related genes and the high risk factors of hearing loss. Combining hearing and gene screening in childhood, guiding parents to observe children's hearing response and language development, especially strengthening the follow-up of children with high risk factors for hearing loss, is conducive to the early diagnosis of delayed hearing loss.

Linking obesity-associated genotype to child language development: the role of early-life neurology-related proteomics and brain myelination.

Linking obesity-associated genotype to child language development: the role of early-life neurology-related proteomics and brain myelination.

Visual treatment with AR for children with dysphasia

The language disorder known as dysphasia significantly affects the ability to communicate effectively, presenting challenges in both comprehension and expression of language. To address this issue, the development of a visual treatment using augmented reality (AR) specifically designed for children with dysphasia has been proposed. The methodology selected for this project is analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE), an innovative methodology that encompasses analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. This methodology is perfectly adapted to the needs of the project, allowing a systematic and complete approach at all stages of the process of creating the visual treatment. The results obtained show that the visual treatment with AR has been positively evaluated by development experts and dysphasia specialists. Its innovative capacity to assist children with this disorder in health and educational settings is highlighted. This approach provides an effective tool to improve the communication and language development of children affected by dysphasia, offering new opportunities for their learning and growth. Its implementation in healthcare and educational settings could have a significant impact on the quality of life and development of these children.

Maternal education, early language skills, and mother–child interactions across three welfare states

AbstractObjectiveThis study aims to examine the extent to which maternal education‐related disparities in child language development in preschool years are mediated by differences in mother–child interaction quality, and whether this mediation varies across different sociopolitical contexts: the U.S., Germany, and Norway.BackgroundSocioeconomic disparities in language development have prompted research to investigate mechanisms underlying early language disparities. Moreover, welfare states structure the opportunities available and accessible to all parents and children. Thus, it becomes crucial to understand how family mechanisms differ across different sociopolitical contexts.MethodThe study uses data from the U.S., Germany, and Norway with comparable measures based on ex‐post harmonization across early childhood to examine cross‐country differences in whether the association between maternal education and language development was explained by the observed quality of mother–child interactions.ResultsMother–child interactions partly mediate the association between maternal education and language skills, with similar indirect effects in all three countries. Because maternal education is more strongly associated with language skills in the U.S. compared to Germany and Norway, mother–child interactions explain a considerably lower proportion of the total effect in the U.S.ConclusionMother–child interactions play a consistent role in language disparities regardless of sociopolitical context, suggesting that the broader sociopolitical context does not influence these micro‐processes. Other factors related to the sociopolitical context seem to cause larger education‐related gaps in language skills in the U.S. compared to Germany and Norway.

Bilingualism Effects in Metaphor and Simile Comprehension and Production in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Figurative language, including metaphors and similes, is a crucial component of communication; yet, it presents significant challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A critical gap in existing research is the impact of bilingualism on the ability of children with ASD to understand and produce non-literal speech. This study addresses this gap by examining the comprehension and production of metaphors and similes in monolingual and bilingual Greek-speaking children with high-functioning ASD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate these abilities in bilingual children with ASD. Thirty-three monolingual and 18 bilingual children participated in tasks designed to assess comprehension, production, and error patterns for metaphors and similes. The study has also investigated the roles of non-verbal intelligence, language skills (expressive vocabulary), and executive functions (working memory) in the children's performance in the metaphor and simile tasks. Results showed that the two groups did not differ in metaphor comprehension; however, bilingual autistic children with higher non-verbal intelligence appeared to have superior performance in metaphor comprehension compared to their bilingual peers with lower non-verbal intelligence. The bilingual autistic children outperformed their monolingual peers in metaphor production, likely due to their higher non-verbal intelligence ability, despite the fact that the bilingual group had lower expressive vocabulary scores than the monolingual children. Simile comprehension, on the other hand, favored monolingual children, while no significant group differences were observed in simile production. Regarding errors, both groups exhibited similar error patterns, with literal interpretations being the dominant error type across both groups, suggesting that pragmatic language difficulty is a hallmark feature in ASD. The findings challenge the misconception that bilingualism hinders language development in children with ASD and highlight its potential to provide benefits in the realm of non-literal language processing.

A commentary on Zuniga-Montanez and Davies etal.: how did COVID-19 affect young children's language environment and language development? A scoping review.

It was early 2020, a week or two into Hilary Term, what everyone else calls Spring Term, but we at Oxford love our arcane traditions. I recall one of my graduate students, from China, coming to me ashen-faced at the end one of my lectures on the effects of bilingualism on the linguistic and cognitive development of young learners. "Please be careful," she said. "Have you heard about the disease. It's really scary. Please look after your family." Over the preceding Christmas break, news had started to filter through about a new form of flu that had spread rapidly from Wuhan in Eastern China to other parts of the country and was now starting to emerge in other parts of the world. We were starting to see desperate images of enforced quarantine, coerced separation of infected individuals from their loved ones, the rapid construction of temporary hospitals to house the unwell, and of course, school closures. It didn't look good. But I had seen similar outbreaks in the past. I had been working in Southeast Asia during the avian flu epidemic of 2003-04, and I was still there when swine flu broke out in 2009. Both were worrying, but neither had come to anything that could be classified as universally threatening. The school where I worked sent colleagues and children to be tested at the first sign of a tickly throat or stuffy nose, and a strict and regular cleaning and hand sanitising regime was implemented.

Family language policies: managing children’s language development in sojourning Saudi families after returning to Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Sojourning families make critical decisions regarding their children's language development while navigating diverse linguistic environments. This study investigated how Saudi families returning from sojourns manage their children's language development and how parental language ideologies shape family language practices. It also explored the factors influencing these decisions. Using a multiple-case study approach, data were collected from eight families who returned to Saudi Arabia between 2022 and 2024. The study employed an online questionnaire, audio recordings of reading sessions, and interviews. Findings revealed that while parents valued and sought to maintain bilingualism, their beliefs alone were insufficient to shape their children's language development. Various internal and external factors influenced language outcomes, particularly the dominance of Arabic, children's agency, their proficiency English and Arabic, and, most significantly, the language of instruction at their chosen school. Parents must invest considerable effort both during their sojourn and upon their return. However, a structured governmental transition system is needed to support language maintenance. While children's language development often does not align perfectly with parental expectations—resulting in unbalanced bilingualism—most parents were satisfied with their children's linguistic abilities, considering their unique linguistic experiences.

The Effectiveness of Digital Game-Based Pedagogy in Language Abilities Among Children With Delay

Language delay impacts children's social development. Game-based teaching has shown promise in enhancing language skills, however, the effectiveness of digital game-based teaching for children with language delay remains underexplored. This study, focusing on Chinese kindergarten students, investigated the impact of digital game-based teaching pedagogy on the language development of children with delay. Employing a mixed-method approach, quantitative data from teachers' assessment scale, while qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 60 students. Results revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group post-intervention compared to the control group. Interview findings showed positive attitudes from teachers and parents towards digital game-based teaching, alongside concerns such as distracted academic attention, excessive reliance on games, and prolonged screen radiation. These findings indicate benefits for improving language abilities of children with delay, while calling for attention to potential threats

Assessing childhood impact: Virtual and in-person counseling for children's language development challenges.

Assessing childhood impact: Virtual and in-person counseling for children's language development challenges.

Instrument adaptation for measuring early child language development across multilingual and sociocultural diverse settings.

This article describes the adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) for South Africa's 11 official spoken languages. The CDI is a parent-report tool that measures early language development from 8 to 30 months. We developed cross-linguistically comparable CDIs, representing two distinct language families, West Germanic and southern Bantu, using a common protocol. We describe our approach to item construction and harmonization across languages and to obtaining sociodemographic information in different cultural settings. Issues such as language contact and variation, sampling, data collection, and quality control are discussed as well as item selection and instrument reliability and validity. This study highlights key issues for CDI adaptations and other instrument development in understudied contexts and discusses the theoretical implications of adding this diverse set of cross-linguistically comparable languages for early child language research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

DO NASCIMENTO PRECOCE AO DESENVOLVIMENTO INFANTIL: UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA SOBRE OS IMPACTOS E DIAGNÓSTICO NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE CRIANÇAS PREMATURAS

Abstract Premature children are more susceptible to neurodevelopmental risks than full-term children, due to exposure to numerous biological factors and unfavorable clinical outcomes, which can compromise motor, cognitive, and linguistic development. If neurodevelopmental alterations are detected early, it is possible to intervene and refer to interventions in the first months of life, optimizing benefits and reducing the risk of future disabilities. This literature review aims to describe the neurodevelopmental process of premature children, the unfavorable clinical outcomes associated with prematurity, and the neurological impairments that may occur in this group. The importance of this review lies in the need to understand the impacts of prematurity on child development, which enables the implementation of early interventions and effective strategies to mitigate risks and promote health development. Method: Online research was conducted in Medline, LILACS, Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciELO databases between January 2024 and January 2025, with references dated between 1978 and 2025 consisting of 127 articles, 07 official documents from government organizations, and 02 books. This narrative review approach the following topics: (1) neurogenesis; (2) child neurodevelopment; (3) motor, cognitive, and language development in premature children; (4) early diagnosis of premature children; (5) unfavorable clinical outcomes of prematurity, (6) neurological impairments in prematurity, (7) contextual factors and the development of premature children. The reviewed literature reinforces the need for continuous and specialized monitoring to ensure that premature children have access to adequate care and early interventions, which are crucial for their comprehensive development. Keywords: Child Development. Prematurity. Early Diagnosis.

A study of teachers' perceptions of early childhood language and literacy education: Importance-performance analysis

This study analyzes kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the importance and performance in early childhood language and literacy education in hopes of identifying practical ways to support early childhood language and literacy development. The research questions were as follows. First, how do kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of the importance differ from their perceptions of performance in early childhood language and literacy education? Second, what does an IPA analysis reveal about kindergarten teachers’ importance- and performance-related perceptions of specific areas of early childhood language and literacy? Analyzing a sample of 200 kindergarten and daycare teachers responsible for classes of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, we examined differences in importance- and performance-related perceptions regarding early childhood language and literacy education. Our analysis focused on four areas (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in 22 sub-items. The results revealed similarities and differences between kindergarten teachers’ importance- and performance-related perceptions of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The IPA analysis showed that Quadrant 1 had a high proportion of listening, speaking, and reading, mainly featuring elements related to attitude and comprehension, while Quadrant 3 had a high proportion of writing, mainly featuring elements related to the technical aspects of language, such as phonemes, fluency, and accuracy. Exploring the extent to which teachers' perceptions of the importance of each area of early childhood language and literacy education are connected to practice, the results of this study highlight the need for specific support and education in areas where discrepancies exist between perceptions and implementation.

Exploring parent–child interactions during a parent-implemented language intervention for children who are late-to-talk

Supportive parent–child interactions are critical for facilitating typically developing children's language and social skill development. For children who are late-to-talk, parent–child interactions may be particularly important to address as a means of supporting growth in children's early language abilities. Target Word is one parent-implemented intervention for children who are late-to-talk that teaches parents strategies for facilitating more meaningful communicative interactions with their children, but little is known about the impact of this program on parent–child interactions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the nature of parent–child interactions changed during the virtual Target Word program and whether changes in parent–child interaction were associated with parents’ participation in the virtual Target Word program. A total of 40 children between 16 and 27 months of age who were identified as late-to-talk and their caregivers were assigned to a treatment or wait-list control group. Parent–child interactions were captured virtually using Zoom at four time points and measured using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO). Families completed book reading, pretend, and manipulative play tasks. While 16 of the 20 families in the treatment group completed the study, only 5 of the 20 families in the wait-list control group completed the entire study. Data were analyzed using a constrained longitudinal data analysis approach. Group differences in parent–child interactions were not statistically different at any time point. Further research is necessary to evaluate whether parent–child interactions are in fact impaired in late talkers, the psychometric properties of the PICCOLO for late talkers, and whether parent–child interactions may be assessed differently in virtual versus in-person environments.

The impact of L1 literacy on the production of Spanish verbal passives by school-age Spanish heritage speakers

Acquiring literacy contributes to monolingual children's language development, especially with the oral production of complex sentences. However, less is known about how written language exposure impacts first language (L1) morphosyntactic growth in Spanish-speaking children in the U.S., who are educated in their second language (L2) and have little opportunities to develop L1 literacy. To investigate this, we evaluated 8–12-year-old Spanish heritage speakers' (HSs) L1 production accuracy of grammatical gender and full verbal passives using picture description and elicited imitation (EI) tasks. One group of HSs attended bilingual (English-Spanish) schools and had developed strong L1 literacy skills; the other group attended English-only schools and had weaker L1 literacy skills, confirmed with standardized literacy tasks. The children receiving literacy instruction and textual exposure in Spanish (the L1) outperformed those attending schools in English only, producing gender agreement more accurately and full passives more accurately. They also outperformed the children in English-only schools in literacy and cognitive measures. These findings indicate that experience with textual input via L1 literacy development is an effective way to aid the acquisition and production of complex linguistic forms in HSs during the school-age period.

Parental Social and Musical Characteristics, the Home Music Environment, and Child Language Development in Infancy.

Parents use music, especially singing, to interact with their young children, supporting parent-child bonding and social communication. Little is known about the parental attributes that support musical interactions with their infants. In this exploratory study, we analyzed self-report data from 43 caregiver/infant dyads at up to four time points (9, 12, 15, and 18months) to assess parent social motivation and musical training as predictors of the home music environment overall, parental singing, and parental beliefs in the benefits of music. We also investigated the home music environment as a predictor of language development longitudinally. Parent social motivation was a stronger predictor of the home music environment than musical training. Parents' social motivation was positively related to parental singing, beliefs, and overall music environment, while musical training was only related to their beliefs. Furthermore, parent singing and overall home music, but not parental beliefs, were associated with infants' vocabulary comprehension, production, and gestures. Results highlight that music engagement in early childhood is fundamentally a social experience and emphasize the importance of parents' active participation (vs. only their beliefs) in musical experiences with their infant. The social nature of music experiences in infancy may contribute to relationships between the home music environment and child language development.