Teaching Lessons, Learning Words: Mothers' and Fathers' Sensitivity During Teaching Uniquely Mediates Associations Between Early Familial Socioeconomic Risk and Preschoolers' Receptive Language Development

Abstract

Observed parental sensitivity during a parent–child teaching task and free-play task was tested as mediators of the association between family socioeconomic risk and child receptive language at 48 months, consistent with family investment theory. Parents (n = 881 mothers; 624 fathers, data collected between 2006-2008) and their 5-month-old children (52% male) were recruited from public health clinics in Norway. Both maternal sensitivity (measured at 24 months) and paternal sensitivity (measured at 36 months) during the teaching task mediated the association between family socioeconomic risk and child language, controlling for sensitivity during free play, which was not significantly associated with child language. Results suggest that both mothers and fathers make meaningful contributions to early language development via sensitive parenting, particularly in the context of teaching-based interactions.