The Topics of Parent-Child Conversation and Later Language Development and School Readiness

• In Event: Language Development and Picture Books

Abstract

At school entry, children are expected to have a certain degree of school readiness (SR), despite great variability in children’s SR. To explore one potential source of the variability in SR, the current study examined the content discussed between 39 mothers and their children at 24-months (M= 25.3 months, SD = 1.13) using the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD, 2002) longitudinal data set. Results revealed that the proportion of talk about specific topics was predictive of children’s later language development and SR at 36- and 54-months. Results may enhance our understanding of how early language experiences contribute to SR.

Authors

• Alexus Ramirez, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Brenna Hassinger-Das, Pace University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author