Journal of Early Childhood Literacy · 2011 · 137 citations · 94 references
EducationEducational PsychologyHuman DevelopmentChild DevelopmentDevelopmental PsychologyLanguage DevelopmentChild Language AcquisitionEarly ChildhoodEarly Language DevelopmentEarly Literacy DevelopmentEarly Literacy SkillsNarrative DevelopmentAccuracy In Word IdentificationEarly Childhood Literacy DevelopmentKindergarten Readiness AssessmentLexical Diversity AnalysisLongitudinal Structural Equation ModelingLow IncomeOral Language AssessmentSchool Readiness Skills
The study longitudinally examined how mothers’ and children’s oral language contribute to school readiness in 75 low‑income mother‑child dyads. At 36 months, researchers measured mothers’ and children’s lexical diversity, mothers’ wh‑questions, and children’s PPVT‑III scores during play; at pre‑kindergarten they coded shared personal narratives and assessed children’s print, letter‑word, math, and attention skills, combining these into a single school‑readiness factor and modeling the relationships. Structural equation analyses revealed two pathways: mothers’ wh‑questions and lexical diversity predicted children’s PPVT‑III scores at 36 months, which in turn predicted school readiness, and mothers’ lexical diversity predicted mothers’ narrative prompts that related to children’s narrative contributions, which also predicted school readiness, demonstrating that mother‑child conversations support school readiness among low‑income children.
The contributions of mothers’ and children's oral language to children's school readiness were longitudinally examined among 75 low-income mothers and children. When children were 36 months, mothers’ and children's lexical diversity, mothers’ wh-questions, and children's PPVT-III scores were assessed from play interactions. At pre-kindergarten, mothers and children shared a personal narrative, and various aspects of mothers’ and children's narratives were coded. Children were assessed on their knowledge about print, letter-word identification, mathematical skills and sustained attention, and scores were combined into a single factor of school readiness. Structural equation analyses yielded two pathways to school readiness. Mothers’ wh-questions and lexical diversity predicted children's PPVT-III scores at 36 months, which in turn predicted children's school readiness. Mothers’ 36-month lexical diversity predicted mothers’ narrative prompts, which related to children's narrative contributions. Children's narrative contributions in turn predicted school readiness. Mother-child conversations support the school readiness of children from low-income backgrounds.
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Comparative fit indexes in structural models.
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