ERIC Number: EJ1481903
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1522-7227
EISSN: EISSN-1522-7219
Available Date: 2025-07-08
Preschool Language Environments and Children's School Readiness Skills
Kirsten L. Anderson1; Robert J. Duncan2; Yemimah A. King3; Jennifer K. Finders2; David. J. Purpura1; Sara A. Schmitt4
Infant and Child Development, v34 n4 e70041 2025
Early language environments are considered to support children's language development; however, it is unclear to what extent early language environments relate to skills other than language abilities. We examined (1) whether the preschool language environment (measured as adult words heard and conversational turns) is associated with children's school readiness skills (i.e., emergent literacy, math and executive function [EF]), and (2) whether children's vocabulary skills explain these associations. Using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) devices, we collected student-level language environment data from 91 preschoolers (56.04% boys; 67.42% non-Hispanic White) across two school days. We found that there was a significant, positive association between adult words heard and children's math skills ([beta] = 0.18, p = 0.037) and a significant, positive association between conversational turns and children's math ([beta] = 0.22, p = 0.008) and emergent literacy ([beta] = 0.26, p = 0.002) skills. However, these associations were substantially attenuated when accounting for children's vocabulary skills; after including children's scores on a vocabulary task in these models, none of these associations were statistically significant. Neither adult words heard nor conversational turns were associated with children's EF skills in any models run. Implications of these findings for theory and early educational practices are discussed.
Descriptors: Preschool Children, School Readiness, Vocabulary, Language Acquisition, Preschool Education, Mathematics Skills, Emergent Literacy, Educational Environment, Executive Function
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Human Development & Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; 2Colorado State University, Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; 3College of Education & Human Development, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 4College of Education, University of Oregon, Special Education Program, Eugene, Oregon, USA

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