The multifaceted nature of early vocabulary development: Connecting children's characteristics with parental input types

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Göksun T., Aktan-Erciyes A., Karadöller Astarlioğlu D. Z., Demir-Lira Ö. E.

Child Development Perspectives, vol.19, no.1, pp.30-37, 2025 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 19 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/cdep.12524
  • Journal Name: Child Development Perspectives
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, PASCAL, CAB Abstracts, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.30-37
  • Keywords: deaf children, gesture, multimodality, parental input, preterm children, Turkish, Turkish sign language, vocabulary development
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Children need to learn the demands of their native language in the early vocabulary development phase. In this dynamic process, parental multimodal input may shape neurodevelopmental trajectories while also being tailored by child-related factors. Moving beyond typically characterized group profiles, in this article, we synthesize growing evidence on the effects of parental multimodal input (amount, quality, or absence), domain-specific input (space and math), and language-specific input (causal verbs and sound symbols) on preterm, full-term, and deaf children's early vocabulary development, focusing primarily on research with children learning Turkish and Turkish Sign Language. We advocate for a theoretical perspective, integrating neonatal characteristics and parental input, and acknowledging the unique constraints of languages.