Research in Later Language Development: A Historical Perspective

Researchers have investigated later language development for more than 80 years. As a result, a great deal of information has been learned about the nature and substance of language development beyond the preschool years. This article highlights topics that were studied each decade, beginning with the 1940s and continuing to the present. Understanding the history of research in this area is essential for current investigators who seek to contribute new information to the discipline and for clinicians and teachers who seek to apply the information that has already been learned in their daily work with school-age children, adolescents, or young adults.