"Understanding Variations in Early Childhood Language Acquisition"

A new study challenges assumptions about language development in low-income families by analyzing daylong audio recordings of 1,001 children from diverse backgrounds, revealing that early language comprehension begins around 6-7 months and significant improvements occur around a child’s first birthday. The research aims to broaden the scope of language development to include more diverse populations and understand the mechanisms of language acquisition in children, including those who are deaf or blind. The study refutes the assumption that socio-economic status significantly impacts a child’s language development and emphasizes the importance of adult talk in children’s environments as a predictor of speech production.