Caregiver sensitivity supported young children’s vocabulary development during the Covid-19 UK lockdowns

Journal article

Previous studies have shown that caregivers' sensitive, responsive interactions with young children can boost language development. We explored the association between caregivers' sensitivity and the vocabulary development of their 8-to-36-month-olds during COVID-19 when family routines were unexpectedly disrupted. Measuring caregivers' sensitivity from home interaction videos at three timepoints, we found that children who experienced more-sensitive concurrent interactions had higher receptive and expressive vocabularies (N=100). Children whose caregivers showed more-sensitive interactions at the beginning of the pandemic showed greater expressive vocabulary growth six (but not 12) months later (n=58). Significant associations with receptive vocabulary growth were not observed. Our findings highlight the importance of sensitivity at a time when other positive influences on language development were compromised.

Authors: McGillion, M; Davies, C; Kong, SP; Hendry, A; Gonzalez-Gomez, N

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Journal of Child Language
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1213-1229
• Publication date: 2023-03-20
• DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000211
• EISSN: 1469-7602
• ISSN: 0305-0009
• Language: English
• Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Linguistics; Vocabulary; Vocabulary development; Medicine; Maternal sensitivity; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Pandemic; Association (psychology); Developmental psychology; Psychology; Expressive language; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Language development