Early Childcare Attendance, Home Language, and Listening Comprehension: Evidence from Large-Scale Assessments in Multilingual Luxembourg
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Research Findings: Research indicates that early childcare is beneficial for children’s language skills. Children from minority home language groups especially benefit from an early start. In this study, we investigated the association between early childcare attendance (ages 0 to 4 years) and listening comprehension in the language of instruction in multilingual Luxembourg. In particular, we analyzed whether this association was moderated by home language. Multilevel regression analyses on large-scale school monitoring data revealed that results depended on the home language group. Early childcare attendance, especially for a duration of 3 years, was positively associated with listening comprehension in the language of instruction among children who did not speak that language at home. Children who already spoke the language of instruction at home, monolingually or multilingually, did not benefit from childcare attendance or duration to the same extent. Practice or Policy: Our results extend the previous evidence on the potential of childcare to reduce disparities in the language of instruction, which is key for academic progress and success. These findings may guide stakeholders in monitoring and enhancing the quality of the language environment in early childcare settings, which could provide better starting points for children in linguistically diverse school populations.
Source: Early Education and Development
Institution: University of Luxembourg
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415848154