Children's Vocabulary Research Articles

Non-word repetition and vocabulary in Kuwaiti Arabic-speaking children with down syndrome and typically developing children

Overview Non-word repetition (NWR) is one of the most effective predictors of language impairments in children as it has been found to correlate with various language measures and the association between NWR and vocabulary is well documented in typically developing (TD) studies. However, there is a dire need for investigations of language skills in Kuwaiti Arabic individuals with Down Syndrome, and this study set out to fill a gap in this field. Method In this paper, we compare the vocabulary and NWR skills of a group of 48 individuals with DS aged 6–20 years to a group of 44 TD children aged 3–10 years matched on nonverbal IQ. Furthermore, we investigate the correlations among these language measures in the two groups and examine whether NWR can predict receptive and expressive vocabulary in these two groups. Result Results found DS participants performed significantly less than the TD group on the three language measures (receptive vocabulary t(90)= −3.17, p < .01, expressive vocabulary t(90)= −3.27, p < .01, and NWR t(90)= −8.32, p < .01). Moreover, there were strong correlations between NWR and vocabulary (receptive and expressive) in the TD group but not the DS group. Conclusion Findings supported the working memory model and the phonological processing account for the TD group. On the other hand, the poor association between NWR and vocabulary in the DS group might be due to poor phonological discrimination difficulties and speech discrimination difficulties.

The role of lexical and prosodic characteristics of mothers' child-directed speech for the early vocabulary development of Italian children with cochlear implants.

Variability in the vocabulary outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs) is partially explained by child-directed speech (CDS) characteristics. Yet, relatively little is known about whether and how mothers adapt their lexical and prosodic characteristics to the child's hearing status (before and after implantation, and compared with groups with normal hearing (NH)) and how important they are in affecting vocabulary development in the first 12 months of hearing experience. To investigate whether mothers of children with CIs produce CDS with similar lexical and prosodic characteristics compared with mothers of age-matched children with NH, and whether they modify these characteristics after implantation. In addition, to investigate whether mothers' CDS characteristics predict children's early vocabulary skills before and after implantation. A total of 34 dyads (17 with NH, 17 with children with CIs; ages = 9-32 months), all acquiring Italian, were involved in the study. Mothers' and children's lexical quantity (tokens) and variety (types), mothers' prosodic characteristics (pitch range and variability), and children's vocabulary skills were assessed at two time points, corresponding to before and 1 year post-CI activation for children with CIs. Children's vocabulary skills were assessed using parent reports; lexical and prosodic characteristics were observed in semi-structured mother-child interactions. Results showed that mothers of children with CIs produced speech with similar lexical quantity but lower lexical variety, and with increased pitch range and variability, than mothers of children with NH. Mothers generally increased their lexical quantity and variety and their pitch range between sessions. Children with CIs showed reduced expressive vocabulary and lower lexical quantity and variety than their peers 12 months post-CI activation. Mothers' prosodic characteristics did not explain variance in children's vocabulary skills; their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary and lexical outcomes, especially in the NH group, but were not related to later language development. Our findings confirm previous studies on other languages and support the idea that the lexical characteristics of mothers' CDS have a positive effect on children's early measures of vocabulary development across hearing groups, whereas prosodic cues play a minor role. Greater input quantity and quality may assist children in the building of basic language model representations, whereas pitch cues may mainly serve attentional and emotional processes. Results emphasize the need for additional longitudinal studies investigating the input received from other figures surrounding the child and its role for children's language development. What is already known on the subject Mothers' CDS is thought to facilitate and support language acquisition in children with various language developmental trajectories, including children with CIs. Because children with CIs are at risk for language delays and have acoustic processing limitations, their mothers may have to produce a lexically simpler but prosodically richer input, compared to mothers of children with NH. Yet, the literature reports mixed findings and no study to our knowledge has concurrently addressed the role of mothers' lexical and prosodic characteristics for children's vocabulary development before implantation and in the first 12 months of hearing experience. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The study shows that mothers of children with CIs produce input of similar quantity but reduced variety, and with heightened pitch characteristics, compared to mothers of children with NH. There was also a general increase in mothers' lexical quantity and variety, and in their pitch range, between sessions. Only their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary skills. Their lexical variety predicted children's expressive vocabulary and lexical variety only in the NH group. What are the practical and clinical implications of this work? These findings expand our knowledge about the effects of maternal input and may contribute to the improvement of early family-centred intervention programmes for supporting language development in children with CIs.

Analysis of The Effectiveness of Spelling Puzzle Media for Mastering The Vocabulary of Autism Children

Autistic students experience barriers in communication. These barriers make it difficult for students to understand two-way communication due to their lack of vocabulary. Increasing the number of vocabulary is delivered using spelling puzzle media. The aim of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of spelling puzzle media to increase understanding of the vocabulary of autistic children. The method used in this research is pre-experimental with a one group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this research were 6 Autistic class I students at SLB 1 Gondang Tulungagung. The students' pretest and posttest results were analyzed based on the gain score criteria, showing a score of 0.7 which was in the medium criteria. These criteria show an increase in the number of students' vocabulary after learning using spelling puzzle media.

Early vocabulary development in Mandarin children with cochlear implantation

Objective: To investigate the development of receptive and expressive vocabulary in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CI) during the first year after CI activation. Methods: A total of 827 children (411 boys and 416 girls) who were implanted CI before 2.5 years of age from October 2019 to December 2022 in the Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital were included in this study. The Infant Checklist of the Mandarin Early Vocabulary Inventory (EVI) was used to assess the quantity and content of receptive and expressive vocabulary at the time of CI activation and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th months post-activation. SPSS 22.0 was used to describe the receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children at the first year after activation. Results: During the first year after CI activation, CI children's receptive and expressive vocabulary consistently increased with the CI usage. The average number of receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary respectively increased from 0 to 178, and from 0 to 97. At the first year of post-activation, the number of receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children were superior to that of hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, but fell behind of that of chronological age matched typical-hearing children. In terms of lexical categories, receptive and expressive vocabulary was acquired in the following order: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Among the top 50 words that CI children could express, nouns were the most common, then followed by verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Father's education level can significantly and positively predictethe receptive vocabulary of CI children at the first year post-activation. At the first year after CI activation, the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were 113, 149, 178, 202, 223 for the receptive vocabulary, and 9, 37, 97, 148, 188 for expressive vocabulary. Conclusion: For Mandarin speaking children with CI, the receptive and expression vocabulary continuely increased within the first year after CI activation. The ability to grasp receptive vocabulary precedes the ability to express expressive vocabulary. Compared to hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, CI children showed faster rate of the vocabulary growth, and earlier and more frequently verb expression. However, it still larged behind that of chronological age matched hearing normal children. CI children respectively understood and expressed nouns and verbs the first. In children with CI, the first concepts understood and expressed were nouns and verbs. Among the first 50 words expressed, nouns were the most numerous, and the age at which verbs were acquired was earlier than that for hearing-age matched typical-hearing children.

Decomposing modal thought.

Cognitive scientists have become increasingly interested in understanding how natural minds represent and reason about possible ways the world could be. However, there is currently little agreement on how to understand this remarkable capacity for modal thought. We argue that the capacity for modal thought is built from a set of relatively simple component parts, centrally involving an ability to consider possible extensions of a part of the actual world. Natural minds can productively combine this ability with a range of other capacities, eventually allowing for the observed suite of increasingly more sophisticated ways of modal reasoning. We demonstrate how our (de)compositional account is supported by both the trajectory of children's developing capacity for reasoning about possible ways the world could be and by what we know about how such modal thought is expressed within and across natural languages. Our approach makes new predictions about which kinds of capacities are required by which kinds of experimental tasks and, as a result, contributes to settling currently open theoretical questions about the development of modal thought and the acquisition of modal vocabulary in children. Our work also provides a more systematic way of understanding possible variation in modal thought and talk, and, more generally, paves the way toward a unified theory that will ultimately allow researchers across disciplines to relate their findings to each other within a framework of shared assumptions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Testing cognitive abilities and vocabulary of young school-age children

Testing cognitive abilities and vocabulary of young school-age children

The Role of Parents in Increasing Children's English Vocabulary in Kelambir V Kebun

This research aims to discuss the important role of parents in increasing children's English vocabulary because there are still many parents who lack a role in improving children's English skills, especially increasing English vocabulary to improve language skills. Language skills are an important aspect of children's language development and have a significant impact on children's communication abilities. This study explored various ways parents can play a role in expanding children's English vocabulary. This research method involved a review of literature investigating the role of parents in children's vocabulary development. The research method used was qualitative research. Nine parents in Kelambir V Kebun Village were selected purposely as the subject of the research. Interview and observation were used to collect the data. The research results showed that parents had a strong influence in enriching children's vocabulary through speaking models, providing visual stimulation, and providing access to various English learning resources. In addition, this research also underlined the importance of creating an environment that supports language learning, adopting a positive approach, and understanding the child's developmental level. This research implied that parents have a central role in helping children acquire strong English language competence. By actively involving themselves in the language learning process, parents could make a significant contribution to the growth of their children's English vocabulary, but there were still many parents who did not have much effort and methods to increase their children's English vocabulary so that children had insufficient vocabulary.

Syntax Unraveled : Exploring First Language Acquisition in Children's Linguistic Development

This study explores syntactic development in first language acquisition in 54-month-old children, focusing on children's linguistic ability to use conjunctions and relative phrases. A multilingual environment may influence syntactic development in these children differently compared to monolingual children. Multilingual children have a wider exposure to various syntactic structures, which allows them more flexibility in understanding and using these structures. Exposure to three languages can enrich the child's vocabulary and improve his/her ability to process linguistic information, which in turn affects the use of more complex syntactic structures. The findings from this study demonstrate the proficiency of a girl exposed to Bengkulu, Serawai and Indonesian languages. The child demonstrated a strong understanding of syntactic structures by scoring an average of 4.34 morphemes per utterance, which places the child's stage of language acquisition at stage V according to her age. This proficiency is likely due to the positive influence of a multilingual environment on the child's language development. This study underscores the importance of early exposure to multiple languages in enhancing syntactic proficiency and highlights the benefits of such exposure on children's language acquisition.

Comparing the productive vocabularies of grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) and young children

Due to their outstanding ability of vocal imitation, parrots are often kept as pets. Research has shown that they do not just repeat human words. They can use words purposefully to label objects, persons, and animals, and they can even use conversational phrases in appropriate contexts. So far, the structure of pet parrots’ vocabularies and the difference between them and human vocabulary acquisition has been studied only in one individual. This study quantitatively analyses parrot and child vocabularies in a larger sample using a vocabulary coding method suitable for assessing the vocabulary structure in both species. We have explored the composition of word-like sounds produced by 21 grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) kept as pets in Czech- or Slovak-speaking homes, and compared it to the composition of early productive vocabularies of 21 children acquiring Czech (aged 8–18 months), who were matched to the parrots by vocabulary size. The results show that the ‘vocabularies’ of talking grey parrots and children differ: children use significantly more object labels, activity and situation labels, and emotional expressions, while parrots produce significantly more conversational expressions, greetings, and multiword utterances in general. These differences could reflect a strong link between learning spoken words and understanding the underlying concepts, an ability seemingly unique to human children (and absent in parrots), but also different communicative goals of the two species.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Permainan Edukatif dalam Pembelajaran Kosakata Bahasa Inggris pada Anak Usia Pra-Sekolah

This research aims to analyze the effect of using educational games on learning English vocabulary in pre-school children. The background of this research is based on the importance of learning English from an early age, where vocabulary mastery is a crucial basic component. The research method used was an experiment with a pretest-posttest control group design. The research sample consisted of 60 pre-school children who were randomly divided into experimental groups and control groups. The experimental group was given vocabulary learning using various educational games, while the control group used conventional methods. Data was collected through vocabulary tests before and after treatment, as well as observations during the learning process. The results of data analysis show that there is a significant increase in mastery of English vocabulary in the experimental group compared to the control group. These findings indicate that educational games can be an effective method in improving English vocabulary learning in pre-school children. This research suggests that educators consider the integration of educational games in the English language learning curriculum for early childhood.

Application of the Game Scrabble to Improve English Vocabulary in Early Children

The Kindergarten Assalam 1 Sukarame Bandar Lampung faces the issue of low English vocabulary skills. To address this, Scrabble was introduced as a game-based learning tool to enhance their English language skills. The research employed Classroom Action Research (CAR) using the Kemmis and McTaggart model, which includes planning, implementation, observation, and reflection stages. The study was conducted in two cycles, each consisting of four meetings. Data collection methods included observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings showed that Scrabble effectively facilitated English learning in early childhood, creating a lively and engaging learning environment while stimulating various learning opportunities. Initial observations indicated that the children's vocabulary skills were below the expected standards. However, after the first cycle, their skills improved to the "Starting to Develop" category. By the end of the second cycle, their vocabulary skills had further increased to the "Developing According to Expectations" (BSH) category. In conclusion, the use of Scrabble significantly improves English vocabulary skills in early childhood at Kindergarten Assalam 1 Sukarame Bandar Lampung. Keywords: Early childhood; English; vocabulary; game; Scrabble.

Word Learning Opportunities in Preschool Storybook Apps

AbstractIn this study, I examined preschool storybook apps for the affordances they may provide for young children's vocabulary development. Specifically, I sought to understand (a) the degree to which storybook apps introduce new words, (b) the types of words children can learn, and (c) the degree to which digital enhancements align with new words in the story. To do so, I conducted a content analysis of 26,744 words in 70 best‐selling storybook apps in the United States. Results indicate that approximately 7.5% of words in preschool storybook apps might be considered new words for preschool children—which is comparable to the number of new words in preschool printed books. Furthermore, approximately 25% of new words in storybook apps are aligned with digital enhancements. These findings contribute new information about vocabulary in preschool storybook apps and the extent to which digital enhancements might support children's word learning on screen.

Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Through Interactions Framework: A Three-level Meta-Analysis of the CLASS Measure and Children's Vocabulary Skills

Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Through Interactions Framework: A Three-level Meta-Analysis of the CLASS Measure and Children's Vocabulary Skills

Increasing Reading Motivation and Vocabulary of South Asian Children in Hong Kong: A Home–Based Intervention

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study investigated the effectiveness of a home-based intervention in increasing the intrinsic reading motivation and Chinese oral vocabulary of minority South Asian children in Hong Kong. A quasi-experiment was conducted with 78 children (M age = 51.54 months; control: 37 children, intervention: 41 children) and their parents. Intrinsic reading motivation was measured by parent report and oral vocabulary was measured by child direct assessment. The intervention group received picture books, prerecorded stories, and guidance on carrying out home activities over four weeks. The control group received two wordless picture books. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance revealed a significant Group X Time interaction. Follow-up tests revealed that children in the intervention group scored higher in posttest intrinsic reading motivation and oral vocabulary than children in the control group. Practice or Policy: These findings support the development of evidence-based interventions to cater for Chinese language learning of South Asian children in Hong Kong and have the potential to inform the design of future intervention programs that aim to enhance the Chinese language proficiency of minority children in Hong Kong and other settings where Chinese is used as a second language.

Minimum viable product “Ailey Robot Improves Verbal Skills” for the development of preschool children

This paper specifically examines MVP “Ailey Robot Improves Verbal Skills” as a tool for preschool aged children’s verbal skills development. Initial project aims to develop competent verbal skills as an aid tool for simple verbal correction in native (Russian) language and the associative object thinking improvement for children aged 3 years old, as well as is objected to increase the vocabulary of older children (up to seven aged ones). One of most significant activities for preschoolers is a role-playing game with a plot helping children to orient in social relations and estimate human activity’ values and motives through the acceptance of a certain role. With technological development, online platforms and applications are becoming the most accessible and increasingly popular method of teaching children from 3 to 7 years old. The content of thematic levels in the application covers various areas of daily life, which helps the child develop important situational and social skills, while the game format increases internal motivation to learn. The “Ailey Robot Improves Verbal Skills” service uses artificial intelligence models to create an exciting and effective learning environment for children and serves as an informative auxiliary tool for parents and speech specialists. In this paper we aimed to review this online application’s main features, analyze its performance, and identify its pros &amp; cons.

Social interactions offset the detrimental effects of digital media use on children's vocabulary.

Young children's rapid vocabulary growth during the first few years is supported by input during social interactions with caregivers and, increasingly, from digital media. However, the amount of exposure to both sources can vary substantially across socioeconomic classes, and little is known about how social interactions and digital media use together predict vocabulary in the first few years of life. The current study takes a first step toward examining whether increased social interactions with other individuals may buffer the potentially detrimental effects of digital media use on language among a socioeconomically diverse sample. 305 caregivers of children between 17 and 30-months completed questionnaires about their family demographics, their child's technology use, and the child's daily routines and social interactions. Findings suggest children who experience fewer human interactions and greater technology exposure have smaller vocabularies than their peers who socialize more and use less technology, and this disparity becomes greater as children get older. Moreover, the number of social interactions moderates the link between SES, digital media, and vocabulary such that the negative impact of digital media on vocabulary for children from low SES households can be offset with increased social interactions. Together, this suggests that increasing the amount of human interactions may serve as a protective factor for vocabulary outcomes in a world where digital media use is prominent.

Developing Vocabulary for Children 24-36 Months through Daily Activities at Chan Son kindergarten, Yen Son District, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam

Educational scientists have affirmed that language development in general and vocabulary development for children in particular is one of the most important goals of preschool education. The period between 24-36 months is considered the golden period for developing vocabulary. A well-developed child's vocabulary will help them be confident, explore, learn, and express their own needs and desires with things, people, and phenomena surrounding their daily life. Daily living regime is the reasonable allocation of time and activities during the day for children, meeting the child's physiological and psychological needs, thereby helping children form good habits, adapting to the surrounding environment. Therefore, it can be said that a child's daily living regimen is a favorable environment for developing vocabulary for children 24 - 26 months old. The daily routine has its own unique activities suitable to the child's characteristics so that the child can passively and proactively absorb vocabulary through the process of learning and experiencing activities children's daily.

Examining Dutch children's vocabularies across infancy and toddlerhood: Demographic effects are age-specific and task-specific.

Limited studies have examined demographic differences in children's vocabulary in longitudinal samples, while there are questions regarding the duration, direction, and magnitude of these effects across development. In this longitudinal study, we included over 400 Dutch children. Caregivers filled out N-CDIs when children were 9-11 months (measuring word comprehension, word production, and gestures) and around 2-5 years of age (measuring word production). At 2-5 years, we also administered a receptive vocabulary task in the lab. We examined demographic effects on vocabulary size across infancy and toddlerhood. We found a disadvantage for males in infants' gestures and toddlers' vocabulary production. We found a negative effect of maternal education on infants' caregiver-reported vocabulary, but a positive effect on toddlers' lab-administered receptive vocabulary. Lastly, we found a negative effect of multilingualism - but only for the lab-administered task. Examining predictors in large, longitudinal samples ensures their robustness and generalisability across development.

Upaya Meningkatkan Kosakata Pada Anak Tunarungu

This research focuses on efforts to improve vocabulary in deaf children by conducting an in-depth literature review. Through a systematic literature review method, this research reviews various techniques that have been implemented and recorded in the academic literature on vocabulary education for deaf children. The data sources are journal articles from 2019 to 2024, which discuss teaching methods and technology applications including the use of visual aids, sign language, and hearing support devices. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of various existing methods and recommend the most effective techniques based on empirical data. The results of the review showed that the integration of visual, interactive and context-based methods often provided substantial improvements in vocabulary acquisition in deaf children. Based on these results, the study makes recommendations for teaching practices as well as future research directions.

The Effects of Implementing the Strategy of Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) in Promoting Vocabulary in School-Aged Portuguese Children in Inclusive Schools

Background: The purpose of this study was to apply and analyze the impact of the semantic feature analysis (SFA) strategy on vocabulary development and comprehension of texts and theoretical concepts in Portuguese school-age students with and without special educational needs (SEN) attending inclusive schools. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental. The SFA was administered in ten sessions of approximately 60 min each. The sample was a convenience sample and consisted of selecting three classes in each school: (i) in the first cycle of basic education, 65 students were divided into a control group, an experimental group and a structured teaching group; (ii) in the second cycle of basic education, 55 students were divided into an experimental group, an online virtual school and a control group. Results: (1) The SFA strategy is motivating, appealing, inexpensive, flexible and easy to implement; (2) learning the SFA strategy is easy and can be successfully taught in any classroom; (3) the performance of the students assigned to the experimental groups was significantly higher in both cycles compared to all the other groups; (4) the effect sizes were 0.87 in the first cycle and 0.88 in the second cycle. Conclusion: The SFA strategy effectively promotes the development of vocabulary, concept knowledge and text comprehension in school-age children, being more effective than regular teaching.