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Published on: July 1, 2015
Early language processing efficiency predicts later receptive vocabulary outcomes in children born preterm
Virginia A Marchman1, Katherine A Adams1, Elizabeth C Loi2
1a Department of Psychology , Stanford University , Stanford , CA , USA.
Insights
Early lexical processing speed in preterm children predicts later receptive vocabulary. This finding highlights a potential marker for learning disabilities in this vulnerable population, crucial for early intervention and understanding learning processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Rising rates of prematurity present a public health challenge.
- Identifying early risk factors for learning disabilities in preterm children is crucial.
- Understanding early skill continuities informs fundamental learning processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify predictors of receptive vocabulary at 36 months in preterm children.
- To investigate the role of early lexical processing speed in later language development.
- To determine if early skills can serve as markers for learning disabilities.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 30 preterm children was assessed at 18 months adjusted age.
- Predictor variables included socioeconomic status, medical history, parent-reported vocabulary, Bayley Scales language composite, and looking-while-listening lexical processing speed.
- Receptive vocabulary was measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test at 36 months.
Main Results:
- Receptive vocabulary correlated with socioeconomic status.
- Degree of prematurity and medical risk did not correlate with receptive vocabulary.
- Lexical processing speed was the strongest predictor of receptive vocabulary (r = -.81), explaining 30% of the variance.
Conclusions:
- Early lexical processing efficiency is a significant predictor of later receptive vocabulary in preterm children.
- Individual differences in lexical processing speed may serve as an early marker for information processing skills critical for language learning.
- These findings have implications for identifying preterm children at risk for learning disabilities and informing early intervention strategies.
Abstract:
As rates of prematurity continue to rise, identifying which preterm children are at increased risk for learning disabilities is a public health imperative. Identifying continuities between early and later skills in this vulnerable population can also illuminate fundamental neuropsychological processes that support learning in all children. At 18 months adjusted age, we used socioeconomic status (SES), medical variables, parent-reported vocabulary, scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition) language composite, and children's lexical processing speed in the looking-while-listening (LWL) task as predictor variables in a sample of 30 preterm children. Receptive vocabulary as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (fourth edition) at 36 months was the outcome. Receptive vocabulary was correlated with SES, but uncorrelated with degree of prematurity or a composite of medical risk. Importantly, lexical processing speed was the strongest predictor of receptive vocabulary (r = -.81), accounting for 30% unique variance. Individual differences in lexical processing efficiency may be able to serve as a marker for information processing skills that are critical for language learning.
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