New research from the University of Oslo reveals a positive association between the frequency of shared reading and vocabulary size in one- and two-year-olds. There is a negative association between increased screen time and vocabulary size in two-year-olds.

The study, recently published in Journal of Child Language (link), analysed data from 1,442 Norwegian children aged one and two. Parents reported how many words their children said or understood, using vocabulary lists, how often they were read to, and how much screen time the children had each day.

The results showed that one- and two-year-olds who were read to more often by their parents had larger vocabularies than their peers, while two-year-olds who spent more time on screens daily had smaller vocabularies compared to their peers. However, the researchers found no relationship between screen time and vocabulary in one-year-olds.

First author, Dr. Audun Rosslund says: "These results demonstrate an association between activities and language development already in the early years of a child's life and support general recommendations to read more and perhaps reduce screen time for young children. Moving forward, we hope researchers will also investigate the possible impact of the quality of screen time on language development."

Reading offers the opportunity for acquiring new words
While the study examines associations and cannot determine whether shared reading or screen time directly affects language development, the researchers believe that the diverse language found in children’s books and the unique interaction between parents and children during reading offers a tremendous opportunity for acquiring new words. In contrast, excessive screen time may reduce opportunities for other, more interactive activities that can contribute more positively to language development.

The study also found that the positive association between shared reading and the number of words one-year-olds could say was even stronger in families where the mother had a lower level of education. The researchers argue that this may be good news for interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in early learning.

For information:
Press contact, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo
Tel: +47 905 22 192
Email: pressekontakt@hf.uio.no
Doctoral fellow Audun Rosslund
Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo
Tel: + 4791613139
Email: audun.rosslund@iln.uio.no