Cognitively stimulating maternal language as predictor for vocabulary growth

Abstract

AbstractMaternal interaction behavior, particularly maternal language input, is considered to be one of the key factors for child vocabulary development. Previous studies have shown that a higher quantity and diversity of maternal language input is associated with faster vocabulary development. In the present study, we examined cognitive-verbal stimulation as a specific aspect of maternal input, controlling for other relevant internal child characteristics and external environmental influences. Additionally, we compared the effects of cognitive stimulation on vocabulary development with a standard measurement of maternal language input, such as its quantity, to identify specific the effects of cognitive-verbally stimulating interaction behavior. We used data from the Newborn Cohort Study of the German National Educational Panel Study (N = 1127 families) and conducted latent growth curve modeling to examine the vocabulary growth of children between 3 and 7 years of age. As control variables, we also included maternal education and household income in the analyses as well as the children’s age, gender, and initial vocabulary level when they were 2 years old, their phonological working memory, and whether they were learning another native language other than German. The results indicated that general aspects of maternal input, such as the quantity and length of the utterances of maternal language input for 2‑years-olds, were relevant in the earlier stages of vocabulary development, while cognitive stimulation was an important predictor of growth across the later stages of vocabulary development in 3‑ to 7‑year-olds.