Maternal sensitivity and language in infancy each promotes child core language skill in preschool

Publication date: 2nd Quarter 2020Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 51Author(s): Marc H. Bornstein, Diane L. Putnick, Yvonne Bohr, Marette Abdelmaseh, Carol Yookyung Lee, Gianluca EspositoAbstractSupporting language skills in the early years is important because children who begin school with stronger language skills continue to perform well later in their language as well as academic and socioemotional growth. This three-wave longitudinal study of 50 mother-infant dyads reveals that maternal sensitivity and maternal language at 5 months each uniquely predicts child language at 49 months, controlling for age, education, and maternal verbal IQ as well as maternal supportive presence at 49 months. These findings reinforce the importance of maternal sensitivity and maternal language in infancy for child language development and specify that early maternal sensitivity and language, apart from maternal age, education, and IQ as well as later sensitivity, contribute to child language development.
Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly - Category: Child Development Source Type: research