Exploring contributors to later language learning in school settings during middle childhood: The dual role of print and peers

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

Exploring contributors to later language learning in school settings during middle childhood: The dual role of print and peers

While much research has focused on language development during early childhood, fewer studies have examined the development of language skills during middle childhood. Indeed, although middle childhood has been conceptualized as a period in which youth more rapidly learn the language of school texts as a result of the development of literacy skills (Nippold & Scott, 2013; Ravid & Tolchinsky, 2002), empirical studies that examine the factors that impact school-relevant language learning during this developmental period are nascent. Specifically, in this study, we examine factors that influence the development of language skills linked to literacy attainment and, in turn, academic success, known as ‘Language used for Academic Purposes’ (LAP).

Author

• Emily Phillips Galloway, Vanderbilt University