Language Experience in the Second Year of Life Predicts Language Outcomes in Late Childhood

The findings of this study support the concept that a child’s early language experiences may predict developmental outcomes years later. The study expands on previous research by using an automated system to estimate language experience. Conversational turn-taking between the ages of 18 and 24 months was highly correlated with later language and cognitive skills.

The use of automated recordings in the home language environment provides an objective and relatively noninvasive method for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a child’s language environment and an opportunity to design individualized family feedback and offer education and support to enhance child development, potentially altering developmental trajectories, especially of children living in impoverished language environments.

RESULTS: Conversational turn counts at 18 to 24 months of age accounted for 14% to 27% of the variance in IQ, verbal comprehension, and receptive and/or expressive vocabulary scores 10 years later after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) . Adult word counts between 18 and 24 months were correlated with language outcomes but were considerably weakened after controlling for SES.

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