How babies talk - Six principles of early language development - evidence-based implications for infant and toddler programs

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

How babies talk presents evidence on how early language input shapes later language, cognition, and academic outcomes for children living in poverty. Findings link quantity and quality of words heard to vocabulary, processing speed, and language competence across key ages, with SES-related disparities extending to brain and executive function systems. The research also highlights that developmental trajectories are malleable through parent coaching and classroom interventions such as Head Start, improving early vocabulary and broader language measures with measurable effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages49

Reading Time2 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Early language exposure and SES disparities

Words heard and later language outcomes

Cognitive processing and bilingual effects

Brain differences and school readiness

Intervention and prevention pathways

Parent coaching programs

Head Start and classroom interventions

In Odom, S.,Pungello, E. & Gardner-Neblett, N. (2012) Re-visioning the beginning: Developmental and Health Science Contributions to Infant/Toddler Programs for Children and Families Living in Poverty. New York, Guilford Press, 77-101 How babies talk: Six principles of early language development Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Roberta Michnick Golinkoff Temple University University of Delaware This research was funded by joint grants to the authors: From NSF, SBR9615391 and from NIH, RO1HD050199 . Thanks to Russell Richie for his help in preparing the manuscript. In 1995, Hart and Risley’s research became headline news. The language experience of children growing up in poverty was distinctly different than that of children growing up in working class or professional families. On average, the number of words heard per hour in the welfare group was 616 compared to 1,251 in the working class group and 2,153 in the professional group. These findings are dramatic and are consistent with results of recent studies (Hoff, 2002, 2003 , 2006a; Arriaga, Fenson, Cronan, & Pethick, 1998; Cristofaro & Tamis-LeMonda, in press) . Indeed, even within low-income homes the amount of language directed to children predicts later language output (Vernon-Feagans, Pancsofar, Willoughby, Odom, Quade, & Cox, 2008) . Further, disparities in early cognitive development even during infancy grow larger over time. A recent report from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Halle, Forry, Hair, Perper, Wandner, Wessel, Vick & Schultz, 2009) finds that cognitive outcomes that appear at 9 months are already demonstrably larger at 24 months of age. These findings have enormous implications. First, Hart and Risley (1995) noted that vocabulary assessed at age 3 years significantly predicted scores of language competence at ages 9 and 10 (e.g., PPVT and TOLD) . Second, recent results suggest that the amount of early language heard in infancy is strongly related to the speed with which children process language at 18 and 25 months of age (Fernald, Perfors, & Marchman, 2006); to vocabulary size at 25 months; and to linguistic and cognitive skills at 8 years of age (Marchman & Fernald, 2008) . These findings hold for children who speak Spanish as well as for those who speak English (Hurtado, Marchman & Fernald, 2008) and appear to be language specific such that when testing processing speed in English/Spanish bilinguals, efficiency in processing English words affects English vocabulary size while processing speed in Spanish predicts Spanish vocabulary size (Marchman, Fernald & Hurtado, 2010) . Third, not only does early language exposure predict later language ability, but there is also some evidence that it might also be related to brain differences in 5-yearolds. Recent papers by Farah et al. (2006) and Hackman and Farah (2009) suggest that the great disparities in language resulting from SES differences might have neurological consequences. In particular Hackman and Farah (2009) argue “On the basis of our three studies, the effects of poverty were disproportionate for certain neurocognitive systems, including language and executive function …”(p. 66) . Though SES did not uniformly predict poor performance in all areas of the brain, middle class kindergarteners did outperform their low SES counterparts in tests that tapped the left perisylvian/language system. Finally, it is important to note that early language differences are also related to school readiness and to later school outcomes in both reading and math (NICHD ECCRN 2005) . For example, a large literature links early language competence to reading readiness in kindergarten and in primary school (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002; Dickinson, Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2010; Scarborough, 2001). Indeed, Dickinson and Tabors (2001) found that kindergarten vocabulary and word recognition skills that result from early language input accounted for over two thirds ofthe variance in f

FAQs

How does the amount of language children hear relate to later vocabulary and language competence?

Children’s early language exposure predicts later language output and vocabulary growth. Vocabulary assessed at age 3 years predicts language competence at ages 9 and 10, and differences also appear in processing speed and related skills across multiple age points.

Do early language differences affect children beyond language skills?

Yes. Early language differences relate to school readiness and later outcomes in reading and math, and they are also associated with aspects of brain development and neurocognitive systems in studies comparing children across SES backgrounds.

What interventions are described as effective for improving early language outcomes?

Parent coaching and programs that support language development can improve early vocabulary and broader language measures. Classroom approaches such as quality improvements in Head Start and pre-k initiatives show progress, with especially large gains reported for children with the lowest baseline outcomes.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Connor