Hart-Risley Study
The Hart-Risley Study, conducted in the late 1980s, examined how language exposure affects children's vocabulary development. Researchers observed and recorded interactions in 42 families from different socio-economic backgrounds. They found significant disparities in the number of words children heard: children from wealthier families heard millions more words by age three compared to those from lower-income families. This difference in early language exposure correlated with later academic success. The study highlighted the critical role of early language interaction in shaping a child's cognitive and linguistic development, emphasizing the importance of enriching verbal environments for all children.
Additional Insights
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The Hart-Risley study, conducted in the early 1990s, examined the language exposure of young children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Researchers observed and recorded the interactions of families with children from varying income levels. They found that children from wealthier families heard significantly more words and received more encouragement and attention compared to those from lower-income families. This disparity in verbal interaction was linked to differences in language development and academic success later on. The study highlighted the importance of a rich language environment in early childhood for cognitive and linguistic growth.