Jill Gilkerson|Jeffrey A. Richards|Keith J. Topping
The impact of book reading in the early years on parent–child language interaction
University of Dundee
early language development predicts later reading competence reading young children enhance language interaction parents automatic assessment language interaction yields adult word counts conversational turn counts child vocalization counts study 98 families return reading activity logs day coinciding automatic language analysis 36 reported reading children aged 2661 months day reading periods yielded much higher adult word counts conversational turns nonreading periods indicating greater degree parentchild language engagement interaction reading periods differences evident child vocalization adult word counts conversational turns high reading high low education level mothers gender effects reading evident adult word counts conversational turns child vocalization indicating greater adult word counts male children results important implications practical action parents