The power of the family: A longitudinal investigation of how the home environment influences preschool language development.

The present investigation examined how the family context over the first three years of life influences children's language development using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Families (N = 178) were recruited from local pediatric clinics and participated in laboratory and home visits at 7, 15, and 33 months. Mothers completed questionnaires at each data collection point regarding family demographics, depression, anxiety, parenting stress, and child development. The quality of the home environment was documented using the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (HOME). Maternal and child language samples were generated from the 33-month lab visit, which included free play, and structured problem solving and teaching tasks. These interactions were transcribed and coded to yield mean length of utterance (MLU) and type token ratio (TTR). Children's receptive language was assessed with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary-3rd edition. Results indicated that family income, marital status, maternal language, and the home environment had direct influences on language development, while family income, marital status, ethnicity, and maternal education indirectly influenced children's language development. Considered together, these findings indicated that the social and physical environment of children's homes exercise the greatest influence on children's language development. Furthermore, these pathways of influence varied by gender, although girls and boys had similar language abilities. Results are discussed in terms of how specific aspects of family contexts influence children's early language development. Implications for early childhood education and policy are addressed.Ph.D.Developmental psychologyEarly childhood educationEducationLanguage, Literature and LinguisticsLinguisticsPsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/124702/2/3150228.pd