Peers + language development: a look at the individual differences between children in the same classroom
“Built upon previous studies showing that peer social interactions contribute to language development, this study highlights individual differences in the amount of language resources that preschoolers can access through peers and its influence on language growth, especially for children with disabilities.”
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
The amount of learning children access through peer social interactions (i.e., peer language resources) depends on their peers’ language abilities and the extent to which they interact with each other. However, it is unclear how peer language resources vary within classrooms and how peer language resources may influence children’s language growth. In this study, Dr. Jing Chen examined the individual differences in social interactions between children in the same classroom. These questions are especially important in inclusive classrooms, where children with and without disabilities are educated together. Additionally, previous Crane studies (read here and here) have found that children with disabilities are less likely to engage in peer social interactions and when they do, they are more likely to interact with peers who also have disabilities.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
– Individual differences between children with respect to the amount of peer language resources they could access were significant, and children with disabilities had significantly fewer peer language resources than their typically developing classmates.
– The effect of peer language resources on children’s language growth was greater for children with disabilities than for typically developing children.
PRACTITIONER APPLICATION
– These findings indicate that teachers could consider children’s language abilities when grouping children during classroom activities, and ensure children with lower language skills have access to children with higher language skills.
Read the peer-reviewed study, “Exploring the mechanism through which peer effects operate in preschool classrooms to influence language growth”, in Early Childhood Research Quarterly.