Ramirez, Alexus G.2023-10-092023-10-092023https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33378Children’s early language skills are foundational for their health, personal relationships, and academic outcomes (e.g., Adler et al., 1994; Pace et al., 2019). Given the importance of a strong language foundation, the overarching purpose of this three-study dissertation was to expand our understanding of how everyday adult-child conversations during infancy, toddlerhood, and the preschool years are associated with children’s language development and subsequent academic success. Examining how components of caregiver talk may associate with children’s language development clarifies how adults can help children prepare for school, providing children of all demographics an equal opportunity to succeed. ☐ Infant-directed speech (IDS) refers to how people talk with young children in many societies. Compared to speaking with an adult (ADS), IDS includes a slower rate of speech, fewer words per utterance, higher-than-average pitch, and elongated vowels (Ma et al., 2011). Study 1 assessed parents’ beliefs about IDS, whether their beliefs about IDS align with their speech register, and whether their beliefs about IDS were associated with children’s expressive language skills (MCDI) or ability to learn a novel word. Over a one-time video chat session, 57 parents (four fathers) were asked to teach a novel word to their 15- to 21-month-old monolingual English-reared infants (Mage= 17.95, SD = 2.01, 25 males) and to complete the Parent Language Belief Questionnaire (PLBQ). Results showed that parents had mixed beliefs about their use of IDS. Additionally, there was a misalignment between parents’ IDS beliefs and the speech register they used when interacting with their child. Lastly, parents’ IDS beliefs did not associate with children’s performance on the MCDI or word learning at test. Given the benefits associated with using infant-directed speech with young children on their language development (e.g., Saint-Georges et al., 2013), identifying the barriers that may prevent adults from using IDS is essential. ☐ Research has yet to explore how grandparents support their grandchildren’s language development over video chat. For Study 2, 43 grandparents (10 males) and their grandchildren between the ages of 48- to 72-months (Mage = 60.19, SD = 6.49, 18 males) were asked to watch and discuss a video and a series of pictures over a one-time video chat session. Results revealed that grandparents drove conversations and primarily used statements and questions when interacting with their grandchildren. Additionally, grandparents facilitated dialogic interactions using distancing prompts and tended to open these bouts of distancing prompts through question-asking. Lastly, grandparents’ education, distance, frequency of video chat, or perceptions of video chat did not contribute to their overall talk or use of distancing prompts. Findings suggest that families can use video chat to connect and support children’s language learning by allowing them to engage with distant loved ones. ☐ Study 3 examined how the topics 60 mothers discussed with their children at 24-months (Mage = 25.3, SD = 1.13) relate to language and school readiness at 36- and 54-months. We found that mothers mostly talked about visible referents—things they can see (e.g., animals, food, body parts). Children’s gender did not influence the topics mothers discussed with them. We also found maternal education was associated with later language and SR measures even within this relatively homogenous sample in which all families were considered low socio-economic status. Additionally, talking about visible referents was positively related to children’s later working memory at 54-months. However, discussing abstract and absent referents and behavior regulation was not associated with children’s language skills and SR. Results enhance our understanding of how early language experiences prepare children for school. ☐ The findings of these three studies investigate three novel ways that examine how adult-child everyday interactions may support children’s later language and school readiness. Future directions should analyze children’s language interactions with other family members, such as grandparents, fathers, and siblings, to obtain a fuller picture of early language environments. Findings have implications for building children’s language development.Child-directed speechLanguage developmentLinguistic inputSchool readinessConversationsThesis1417332690https://doi.org/10.58088/zvkr-1t602023-09-20en