Links between booksharing and early vocabulary development in Costa Rica
Ana M Carmiol1, Susan Castro1, María Dolores Castro-Rojas2
1Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
Infant Behavior & Development
|May 21, 2024
Summary
Parent-child booksharing significantly boosts toddlers' expressive vocabulary. This home literacy practice is vital for early word learning, even in cultures with limited reading traditions, and shows gender-specific effects on receptive vocabulary.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Applied Linguistics
- Sociocultural Studies
Background:
- Early vocabulary acquisition is critical for long-term cognitive and academic success.
- Parent-child booksharing is a key home literacy practice for promoting word learning.
- Limited research exists on booksharing's impact in diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between maternal booksharing and early receptive and expressive vocabulary in toddlers.
- To explore this relationship within a Costa Rican context, characterized by less common reading practices and limited book access.
- To examine potential moderating effects of child gender and maternal education.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 183 mother-toddler dyads in Costa Rica.
- Mothers were interviewed about their booksharing habits.
- Children's receptive and expressive vocabulary were assessed.
Main Results:
- A positive association was found between maternal booksharing and children's expressive vocabulary.
- Child gender moderated the booksharing-receptive vocabulary link, with a stronger effect observed in girls.
- Mothers with lower education levels reported higher expressive vocabulary in their children.
Conclusions:
- Maternal booksharing positively influences early vocabulary development, even in non-traditional reading cultures.
- Sociocultural factors, including gender and maternal education, play a role in the effectiveness of booksharing.
- Findings emphasize the importance of home literacy environments and culturally sensitive approaches to early language intervention.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
357
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
357
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
53
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
53
01:22Vygotsky's Cognitive Development in Cultural Context
65
Lev Vygotsky, a pioneering Russian psychologist, developed a theory of cognitive development that centers on the influence of social and cultural factors. Unlike Jean Piaget, who emphasized the child's direct interaction with the physical world as key to development, Vygotsky argued that cognitive growth is an interpersonal process that unfolds within a cultural context. For Vygotsky, a child's learning cannot be separated from their social environment, which includes the values,...
65
01:27Language and Cognition
342
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
342
01:24Components of Language
265
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
265
01:27Introduction to Developmental Psychology
237
Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.
Developmental Milestones
A key concept in developmental psychology is...
Developmental Milestones
A key concept in developmental psychology is...
237