DOI: 10.1044/2026_jslhr-24-00582 ISSN: 1092-4388

Development of the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary of Children in Different Care Settings: A Longitudinal Exploration

Aybegum Memisoglu-Sanli, Zeynep Ertekin, Yesim Yavaslar Dogru, Sibel Kazak Berument
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Purpose:

Language development in children is influenced by both environmental and individual factors. This study examined vocabulary development among children in care, longitudinally considering environmental (different care types) and individual (temperament) factors.

Method:

A total of 211 children under social services care in different care types in Türkiye (23–61 months old, n boys = 126, n girls = 85), together with their caregivers and foster families, were assessed three times at 8-month intervals. Information about the care history of the children and day care attendance was included in the analysis. Temperament was assessed using the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire and the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. Vocabulary scores were measured with the Turkish Expressive and Receptive Language Test.

Results:

Hierarchical linear models revealed that vocabulary skills improved over time across all care types. However, the growth rate of receptive vocabulary was negatively associated with the duration of time spent in care. Children attending day care showed significant improvement in expressive vocabulary. Both the foster care and institution groups showed significant increases over time, with children in foster care exhibiting steeper growth rates. Regarding temperament, higher perceptual sensitivity was associated with greater gains in receptive vocabulary, while lower perceptual sensitivity was linked to greater gains in expressive vocabulary. Identification of a three-way interaction revealed that the effect of perceptual sensitivity on receptive vocabulary growth varied by care type.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study emphasize the combined influence of environmental and individual factors on the vocabulary development of children in care.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33071174

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