Cognitive and language development of children during the first three years of life with respect to maternal vocalizations and toys at home: Longitudinal study of a high-risk population

This study compares language and cognitive development of children from dif ferent socio-economic backgrounds, during the first three years of their li fe, in relation to the duration of maternal vocalizations and to the number of toys available to the child in his/her environment. A total of 209 moth er-child dyads participated in the study. The sample was divided in three g roups of mothers: 65 teenage mothers, 91 mothers of low socioeconomic statu s (LSES), and 53 mothers, of higher socioeconomic status (HSES). Results sh owed that children of teenage mothers and children of LSES mothers had a la nguage development (measured with the Reynell) and a cognitive development (measured with the Bayley and Stanford-Binet) inferior to those of children of HSES mothers. The duration of maternal vocalization at 6 and at 18 mont hs of age was related to measures of child development, particularly to chi ld language development at 18 and 24 months. Furthermore, the number of Lin guistic and social toys in the child's environment was correlated with some measures of language and cognitive development. Variability in children's language and cognitive development is related to environmental factors whic h seem more significant at certain times than others in the child's develop ment.