Recent research has raised concerns that the vocabulary gap
is widening between children from families of varying socioeconomic status. By
18 months, socioeconomic status differences in language processing skills and
vocabulary are already visible. By the time a child is three-years-old, those
growing up in lower-income families may hear up to 30 million fewer words than
children from higher-income families. What does this mean for these children as
they grow up? By the time a child is ready to attend school, those from
lower-income families have been shown to score two years behind on standardized
language development tests.
What is
causing this gap to emerge as early as infancy? Researchers believe parenting
styles and home learning environments are the two most crucial factors
contributing to income-related gaps in school readiness. Many parents don’t
realize the power they hold to foster learning in their children prior to
beginning formal education. The good news is that if parents are given the
proper knowledge and skills, they can help close this vocabulary gap starting
with their own children.
Toddlers learn vocabulary through
context, so the faster a child recognizes words they already know, the better
they can figure out and learn the following words in the sentence. A parents’
best bet to combating this language and vocabulary gap is to turn off the
television, read to their child, and use more child-directed speech. These
simple techniques have shown greater efficacy in children’s language
processing, therefore increasing a child’s vocabulary. Researchers have created
a simple method for parents and caregivers to use to expand a child’s
vocabulary:
·
Tune In: pay attention to what the child is focused
on or is communicating to you
·
Talk More: use lots of descriptive words to
build their vocabulary
·
Take Turns: engage in conversations with the
child
By utilizing these three simple
methods, parents can help increase their children’s
vocabulary at an early age. High school achievement gaps
between socioeconomic statuses are already visible in kindergarten. Since most
language development and vocabulary gaps are already evident by age two, it is
critical to encourage development early on to prevent a ripple effect
throughout the rest of the child’s life. However, parent education intervention
studies with low-income families have shown very promising results. By using
techniques to foster language development early, parents have the ability to
change their child’s life trajectory.
To read more details about this article and the studies
discussed, please click here.
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