Description:
Snapshots are summaries of research articles, books, and other publications by researchers at the FPG Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill. Snapshot #40 is based upon Vernon-Feagans, L., Hurley, M. M., Yont, K. M., Wamboldt, P. M., & Kolak. A. (2007). Quality of childcare and otitis media: Relationship to children's language during naturalistic interactions at 18, 24, and 36 months. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2).
Excerpts from the Snapshot:
Children in higher quality care had more advanced language development, especially at 24 and 36 months. Children in lower quality care became progressively further behind the children in higher quality care on all language measures. This finding was especially true for vocabulary, with children in higher quality care having double the number of different words by 36 months of age than those in lower quality care. These differences were greater over time, suggesting the cumulative effects of lower quality care. The number of ear infections a child had did not effect the outcome.
Unlike most childcare studies, there were no differences between quality of care and family educational and economic resources. All families were dual earners who had economic and educational advantages that would put their children at lower risk for language development delays.