Talking with Babies Linked to Language Skills and IQ in Late Childhood, LENA Researchers Find

According to a longitudinal study published in Pediatrics, “Language Experience in the Second Year of Life and Language Outcomes in Late Childhood,” a child’s language experience between 18-24 months may predict their language and cognitive skills during school age years.

Researchers used LENA technology to audio-record the adult words and adult-child conversations of 146 infants and toddlers for six months. 10 years later, they assessed the children’s language and cognitive functioning, finding that conversational turn-taking between the ages of 18-24 months significantly correlated with IQ, verbal comprehension, and receptive and expressive vocabulary scores.

This study reaffirms the importance of addressing the word gap and developing interventions that foster the best early language environments. Read the publication and learn more about the study on LENA’s blog.