Publications

Early Childhood Research Quarterly – Special Issue

This Special Issue of Early Childhood Research Quarterly, guest edited by Drs. Dale Walker and Judith Carta, features a series of topical systematic and conceptual reviews of language intervention research along with empirical intervention studies addressing the word gap. This Special Issue provides a unique opportunity to highlight the state of language intervention research conducted with parents, educators and healthcare providers. It also provides information addressing issues related to cultural and linguistic diversity, training and implementation practices as well as methodological factors informing intervention research. Studies featured in this Special Issue document the efficacy of communication and language interventions and illustrate promising practices designed to improve the language-learning environment and outcomes for infants and young children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Click on the image to access the featured articles and learn more about the word gap.

Research Syntheses:

Walker, D., Sepulveda, S. J., Hoff, E., Rowe, M. L., Schwartz, I. S., Dale, P. S., Peterson, C. A., Diamond, K., Goldin-Meadow, S., Levine, S. C., Wasik, B. H., Horm, D. M., & Bigelow, K. M. (2020). Language intervention research in early childhood care and education: A systematic survey of the literature. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 68-85.

Biel, C. H., Buzhardt, J., Brown, J. A., Romano, M. K., Lorio, C. M., Windsor, K. S., Kaczmarek, L. A., Gwin, R., Sandall, S. S., & Goldstein, H. (2020). Language interventions taught to caregivers in homes and classrooms: A review of intervention and implementation fidelity. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 140-156.

Larson, A. L., Cycyk, L. M., Carta, J. J., Hammer, C. S., Baralt, M., Uchikoshi, Y., An, Z. G., & Wood, C. (2020). A systematic review of language-focused interventions for young children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 157-178.

Mahoney, A. D., McConnell, S. R., Larson, A. L., Becklenberg, A., & Stapel-Wax, J. L. (2020). Where do we go from here? Examining pediatric and population-level interventions to improve child outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 205-220.

Greenwood, C. R., Schnitz, A. G., Carta, J. J., Wallisch, A., & Irvin, D. W. (2020). A systematic review of language intervention research with low-income families: A word gap prevention perspective. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 230-245.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly Special Issue:

Walker, D., & Carta, J. J. (2019). Intervention research to improve language-learning opportunities and address the inequities of the word gap. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 1-5.

Heidlage, J. K., Cunningham, J. E., Kaiser, A. P., Trivette, C. M., Barton, E. E., Frey, J. R., & Roberts, M. Y. (2020). The effects of parent-implemented language interventions on child linguistic outcomes: A meta-analysis. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 6-23.

Leung, C. Y., Hernandez, M. W., & Suskind, D. L. (2020). Enriching home language environment among families from low-SES backgrounds: A randomized controlled trial of a home visiting curriculum. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 24-35.

Feil, E. G., Baggett, K., Davis, B., Landry, S., Sheeber, L., Leve, C., & Johnson, U. (2020). Randomized control trial of an internet-based parenting intervention for mothers of infants. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 36-44.

Troseth, G. L., Strouse, G. A., Flores, I., Stuckelman, Z. D., & Johnson, C. R. (2020). An enhanced eBook facilitates parent–child talk during shared reading by families of low socioeconomic status. Early childhood research quarterly, 50, 45-58.

Adamson, L. B., Kaiser, A. P., Tamis-LaMonda, C. S., Owen, M. T., & Dimitrova, N. (2020). The developmental landscape of early parent-focused language intervention. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 59-67.

Lorio, C. M., & Woods, J. J. (2020). Multi-component professional development for educators in an Early Head Start: Explicit vocabulary instruction during interactive shared book reading. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 86-100.

Wasik, B. A., & Hindman, A. H. (2020). Increasing preschoolers’ vocabulary development through a streamlined teacher professional development intervention. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 101-113.

Levine, D., Pace, A., Luo, R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., de Villiers, J., Iglesias, A., & Wilson, M. S. (2020). Evaluating socioeconomic gaps in preschoolers’ vocabulary, syntax and language process skills with the Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 114-128.

Romano, M. K., & Windsor, K. S. (2020). Increasing deictic gesture use to support the language development of toddlers from high poverty backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 129-139.

Knauer, H. A., Jakiela, P., Ozier, O., Aboud, F. E., & Fernald, L. C. (2020). Enhancing Young Children’s Language Acquisition through Parent-Child Book-Sharing: A Randomized Trial in Rural Kenya. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 179-190.

Seven, Y., & Goldstein, H. (2020). Effects of embedding decontextualized language during book-sharing delivered by fathers in Turkey. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 191-204.

Canfield, C. F., Seery, A., Weisleder, A., Workman, C., Cates, C. B., Roby, E., Payne, R., Levine, S., Mogilner, L., Dreyer, B., & Mendelsohn, A. (2020). Encouraging parent–child book sharing: Potential additive benefits of literacy promotion in health care and the community. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 221-229.

Ford, A. L., Elmquist, M., Merbler, A. M., Kriese, A., Will, K. K., & McConnell, S. R. (2020). Toward an ecobehavioral model of early language development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 246-258.

Bridging the Word Gap Research Network Publications:

Greenwood, C. R., Schnitz, A. G., Irvin, D., Tsai, S. F., & Carta, J. J. (2018). Automated Language Environment Analysis: A Research Synthesis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(2), 853-867. doi: 10.1044/2017_AJSLP-17-0033

Greenwood, C. R., Carta, J. J., Walker, D., Watson-Thompson, J., Gilkerson, J., Larson, A. L., & Schnitz, A. (2017). Conceptualizing a Public Health Prevention Intervention for Bridging the 30 Million Word Gap. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1-22. doi:10.1007/s10567-017-0223-8

Adamson, L.B., Kaiser, A.P., Tamis-LaMonda, C.S., Owen, M.T., Dimitrova, N. Developmental principles for parent language-facilitating interventions. Under Review.

Radesky, J.S., Carta, J., Bair-Merritt, M. (2016) The 30 million-word gap relevance for pediatrics. JAMA Pediatrics, 170, 825-826. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.1486

Related Publications from Bridging the Word Gap Research Network Leadership Team Members:

Articles:

Bigelow, K. M., Walker, D., Jia, P., Irvin, D., & Turcotte, A., (2020). Text messaging as an enhancement to home visiting: Building parents’ capacity to improve child language-learning environments. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51(2), 416-429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.12.010

Suskind, D. L., Graf, E., Leffel, K. R., Hernandez, M. W., Suskind, E., Webber, R., … & Nevins, M. E. (2016). Project ASPIRE: Spoken language intervention curriculum for parents of low-socioeconomic status and their deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Otology & Neurotology, 37(2), e110-e117.

Suskind, D. L., Leffel, K. R., Graf, E., Hernandez, M. W., Gunderson, E. A., Sapolich, S. G., … & Levine, S. C. (2016). A parent-directed language intervention for children of low socioeconomic status: a randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Child Language, 43, 366-406.

Wright, C. A. & Kaiser, A. P. (2016). Teaching parents Enhanced Milieu Teaching with words and signs using teach-model-coach-review. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, doi: 10.1177/ 0271121415621027. Online first.

DiStefano, C., Mucchetti, C., Shih, W., Kaiser, A., Landa, R., Mathy, P., & Kasari, C. (2016). Communication growth in minimally verbal children with ASD: The importance of interaction. Autism Research, doi: 10.1002/aur.1594.

Carta J.J., Greenwood C.R., Atwater J, McConnell S.R., Goldstein H., Kaminski R. (2015). Identifying preschool children for higher tiers of language and early literacy instruction within a Response to Intervention framework. J Early Inter. 2015; 36: 281-291. doi:10.1177/1053815115579937

Forrest T.M., Wallace-Pascoe D., Goldstein H. Developing a principle-based framework for evaluating comprehensive poverty solutions across contexts. Journal of Poverty. 2015; 19 (3): 1-26. doi: 10.1080/10875549.2014.999972

Golinkoff R.M., Can D., Soderstron M., Hirsh-Pasek J. Baby talk to me: The social context of infant-directed speech and its effects on early language acquisition. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2015; 24(5): 339-344.

Greenwood C.R., Carta J.J., Goldstein H., Kaminski R., McConnell S.R., Atwater J. (The Center on Response to Intervention in Early Childhood (CRTIEC): Developing evidence-based tools for a multi-tier approach to preschool language and early literacy instruction. J Early Inter. 2015; 36, 246 – 262. doi:10.1177/1053815115581209

Guttentag C.L., Landry S.H., Baggett K.M., et al. “My Baby & Me”: Effects of an early, comprehensive parenting intervention on at-risk mothers and their children. Developmental Psychology. 2015; 50, 1482-1496.

Hirsh-Pasek K., Adamson L., Bakeman R., et al. The contribution of early communication to low-income children’s language success. Psychological Science. 2015; 26, 1071-1083

Kelley E.S., Goldstein H., Spencer T., Sherman A. Effects of automated Tier 2 storybook intervention on vocabulary and comprehension learning in preschool children with limited oral language skills. Early Childhood Res Q. 2015; 31, 47-61. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.14.004

McConnell SR, Wackerle-Hollman A.K., Bradfield T.A., Rodriguez M.C. Designing a measurement framework for Response to Intervention in early childhood programs. J Early Inter. 2015; 36, 263 – 280. doi: 10.1177/1053815115578559.

Suskind D.L., Leffel K.R., Graf E., et al. A parent-directed language intervention in children of low SES: A randomized controlled study. J Child Lang. 2015; 4, 1-41.

Ridge K., Weisberg D., Ilgaz H., Hirsh-Pasek K, Golinkoff R.M. “Supermarket speak”: Increasing conversations among Low-SES families. Mind Brain Educ. 2015; 9(3), 127-135.

Verdine B.N., Lucca K.R., Golinkoff R.M., Newcombe NS, Hirsh-Pasek K. The shape of things: The origin of young children’s knowledge of the names and properties of geometric forms. J Cogn Dev. 2015; 12, 315-331

Weisberg D.S., Ilgaz H., Hirsh-Pasek K., Golinkoff R.M., Nicolopoulou A. Shovels and swords: How realistic and fantastical themes affect children’s word learning. Cognitive Development. 2015; 35, 1-14.

Zosh J., Filipowicz A., Verdine B., Golinkoff R.M., Hirsh-Pasek K.. Parental language with electronic and traditional and shape sorters. Mind Brain Educ. 2015; 9(3), 136-144

Books:

Suskind, D., Suskind B., LeWinter-Suskind L. Thirty Million Words. Building a Child’s Brain: Tune In, Talk More, Take Turns. New York, NY: Dutton; 2015.

Book Chapters:

Kaiser, A. P. & Hampton, L. H. (2016). Enhanced Milieu Teaching. In R. McCauley, M. Fey & R. Gilliam (Eds.). Treatment of Language Disorders in Children (2nd Edition), (pp. 87-120). Baltimore: Brookes.

Kaiser, A. P., Hampton, L. & Roberts, M. Y. (2016). Parents as partners in effective communication intervention. In Communication Interventions for Children with Severe Disabilities (pp. 147-168). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Greenwood, C.R. How should learning environments (Schools and Classrooms) be structured for best learner outcomes?. In Bateman B, Tankersley M, Lloy JW, ed. Enduring issues in special education. New York: Routledge, 2015: 303-323.