Work

Examining Dutch children’s vocabularies across infancy and toddlerhood: Demographic effects are age-specific and task-specific

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Limited studies have examined demographic differences in children's vocabulary in longitudinal samples, while there are questions regarding the duration, direction, and magnitude of these effects across development. In this longitudinal study, we included over 400 Dutch children. Caregivers filled out N-CDIs when children were 9-11 months (measuring word comprehension, word production, and gestures) and around 2-5 years of age (measuring word production). At 2-5 years, we also administered a receptive vocabulary task in the lab. We examined demographic effects on vocabulary size across infancy and toddlerhood. We found a disadvantage for males in infants' gestures and toddlers' vocabulary production. We found a negative effect of maternal education on infants' caregiver-reported vocabulary, but a positive effect on toddlers' lab-administered receptive vocabulary. Lastly, we found a negative effect of multilingualism - but only for the lab-administered task. Examining predictors in large, longitudinal samples ensures their robustness and generalisability across development.

Source: Journal of Child Language

DOI: 10.1017/s0305000924000199

Authors: Anika van der Klis, Caroline Junge, Frans Adriaans, René Kager

Institution: Utrecht University

Language: English

Topic: Language Development and Disorders

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450