Preschool language environments: Variation throughout the day and year, and between- and within-classrooms

• In Event: Classroom language environments in preschool and kindergarten: Variability across activities, time, and content

Abstract

Early childhood language environments are related to children’s development of language (Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2000), activation in language-related brain regions (Romeo et al., 2018), and later childhood cognitive and language outcomes (Gilkerson et al., 2018). Language environments in preschool contexts have also been shown to relate to children’s language abilities (Duncan et al., 2020; Justice et al., 2018). The current study used the Language Environment Analysis (LENA; Xu et al., 2009) to estimate children’s exposure to adult words and conversational turns throughout their preschool day and across three waves of data during the year. Then, within- and between-classroom variation in language experiences was estimated as well as how these two types of variation relate to children’s vocabulary.
The sample includes two cohorts with 91 total children (56% male) that had at least one hour of LENA data from their preschool day. Data were collected in the fall, winter, and spring of the preschool year and included a total of 1,498 hours. Unfortunately, end of preschool assessments for cohort two are missing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The LENA data includes 5-minute quantitative metrics for the number of adult words heard, conversational turns, and child vocalizations. Only 5-minute observations with at least one adult word or one child vocalization were included in the regression analyses. Children were nested in 23 preschool classrooms. Statistical analyses examined variation in language environment throughout the preschool day and over the year, variation within and between classrooms, and relations to children’s Picture Peabody Vocabulary Test (Dunn & Dunn, 2007).
Figure 1 shows the variation in adult words heard and conversational turns throughout the preschool day for each of the three waves of data and overall. Figure 2 shows overall variation between- and within-classrooms for adult words heard and conversational turns. After running eight multi-levels models that specified within- and between-classroom variation in preschool language environments (adult words heard and conversational turns estimated separately), findings collectively suggest that relations to children’s vocabulary are primarily due to within-classroom variation rather than between-classroom variation. The effect sizes for language environments generally ranged from .30 to .40 across the modeling specifications, with 3 effects reaching statistical significance (p < .05), 3 reaching marginal statistical significance (p < .10), and 2 were not statistically significant.
Given the robust literature connecting early language environments and children’s language abilities, the current study illustrates (a) the extent to which language environments vary throughout the preschool day and across the year; (b) variation between- and within-classrooms; and (c) how sources of variation relate to children’s language abilities. Findings reflect very consistent patterns of language environments throughout the days and across the preschool year. The most robust associations between language environments and children’s language abilities were at the within-classroom level. Collectively, this study suggests the LENA is a useful tool for modeling language environments in preschool classrooms, and that greater efforts to improve the language experiences of children within particular classrooms may be an effective way to improve children’s early language abilities.

Authors

• Robert Duncan, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Presenting Author

• Kirsten Lee Anderson, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yemimah King, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Kristine Finders, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sara Anne Schmitt, University of Oregon
  Non-Presenting Author

• David James Purpura, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author