Joseph, Soderberg, Abbott, Garzon, Scott
Language
skills are vital to children’s learning and well-being, and the first 5 years
of life are an especially critical time for language acquisition. Research
suggests that when early childhood teachers create language-rich
environments, children develop stronger receptive and expressive language
abilities, especially children from low-income households who are more at
risk for language delays. This study investigated the effects of a 10-week
professional learning intervention focused on language-based interactions in
early care and education settings that serve infants and toddlers on state
childcare subsidy. The intervention with childcare providers was titled
Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), which utilized
video-based reflective practices to promote positive interactions between
providers and children. Using a treatment–control design (control: n = 44;
treatment: n = 42), we compared childcare providers’ language practices.
Provider language use was measured using the Language Environment Analysis
(LENA), a wearable digital language processer. Results indicate that, as
compared with the control group, FIND participation was associated with
increased adult word count and conversational turns in facilities that serve
the most vulnerable children. These results suggest the utility of
video-based professional learning and automated data collection for
supporting providers’ positive interactions and improving the quality of
infant/toddler programs.