Language Engagement and Children’s Language and Literacy Achievement in Rural, Two-Parent Families

• In Event: Novel Perspectives on the Role of Adult Questions for Children’s Learning and Cognition

Abstract

A broad consensus among educators, researchers, and policy makers is that the foundation for language and literacy skills is built prior to elementary school entry for children from all SES backgrounds. Thus, understanding the characteristics of the home environment that promote and enhance these skills is essential to guide future policies and interventions intending to improve academic trajectories for young children in the United States. Compelling evidence suggests children learn most efficiently in the context of social and active engagement. The present proposal extends the current state of research on mothers’ and fathers’ language input to explore parents’ language engagement, defined as questions and conversational turns. These types of language inputs may signify language-based exchanges between parents and children.

This paper examines the following research questions: (1) What differences exist between mothers’ and fathers’ language engagement? (2) What are the associations between mothers’ and fathers’ language engagement from 24 to 36 months and children’s preschool language and first grade literacy? (3) Does children’s preschool language mediate the association between mothers’ and fathers’ language engagement from 24 to 36 months and children’s first grade literacy?

Data for the present study were drawn from the Family Life Project (FLP), a longitudinal epidemiological study of African American and non-African American families (predominantly European American families) living in six high-poverty rural counties in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. This study uses a subsample of FLP participants who had (a) both the same mother and father at the 24 month and 36 month home visit and (b) a mother and father whose language variables were collected during a shared book task for at least one of the two time points.

Parents’ language engagement measures (questions and conversational turns) were obtained during a wordless picture book task when children were 24 months and 36 months. Child language measures included a series of standardized language measures (WPPSI, PLS-4, PPVT) in preschool. Child literacy was measured using subtests from the Woodcock Johnson including Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension in first grade.

Mothers’ and fathers’ language engagement variables were descriptively described and compared. Results suggested that fathers used a greater number of non wh- questions and conversational turns with their young children. Next, structural equation modeling was used to explore the association between mothers’ and fathers’ language engagement and children’s preschool language and first grade literacy. Mothers’ language engagement was significantly associated with children’s preschool language. Children’s preschool language partially mediated the association between mothers’ language engagement and children’s first grade literacy. Fathers’ language engagement was significantly associated with children’s first grade literacy. Findings demonstrate that language engagement strategies used in the home by both parents may promote and enhance the language and literacy skills in young children.

Author

• Elizabeth Reynolds, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author