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Exploring Vocabulary Growth in African American English–Speaking Toddlers: Bridging Linguistic and Cultural Perspectives.

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Title: Exploring Vocabulary Growth in African American English–Speaking Toddlers: Bridging Linguistic and Cultural Perspectives.
Authors: Laramore, Gennie R.1 grhendri@uci.edu, Rhodes, Katherine T.1, Washington, Julie A.1
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p2170-2184. 15p.
Subject Terms: *Data analysis, *Mothers, *Cultural values, *Communication, *Vocabulary, *Psychology of caregivers, *Language acquisition, *Children, Statistical power analysis, African Americans, Speech, Descriptive statistics, Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Social context, Mother-infant relationship, Statistics, Mean length of utterance, Data analysis software, Regression analysis, Video recording
Abstract: Purpose: This study examined vocabulary growth in low-income African American English (AAE)–speaking toddlers aged 30 and 42 months. Specifically, we investigated whether traditional child-level language production, discourse measures, or maternal language input at Time 1 predicted receptive vocabulary growth at Time 2. Method: Language samples were collected from 101 African American toddlers during home-based play interactions with their caregivers at 30 and 42 months. Child and maternal language measures were derived from transcripts using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts, and receptive vocabulary was assessed at both time points using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Revised. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses examined the predictive value of child- and caregiver-level language variables, including interactions with gender. Results: Children demonstrated substantial vocabulary growth from 30 to 42 months. Caregivers demonstrated responsive, developmentally appropriate language and frequent spontaneous questioning. However, neither traditional syntax measures (mean length of utterance [MLU]) nor culturally relevant measures of discourse (caregivers' use of spontaneous questions to direct discourse and children's responses to questions) significantly predicted vocabulary growth. A marginal trend suggested that the relation between maternal MLU and child vocabulary growth may differ by gender. Conclusions: Although neither syntax nor discourse measures significantly predicted vocabulary, these findings highlight the importance of continuing to examine culturally embedded interaction patterns in AAE-speaking families. The results suggest that broad language measures may obscure variability in the discourse strategies caregivers use to guide and engage children's language and that more fine-grained approaches may be needed to capture how language input supports vocabulary growth across gender and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Exploring Vocabulary Growth in African American English–Speaking Toddlers: Bridging Linguistic and Cultural Perspectives.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laramore%2C+Gennie+R%2E%22">Laramore, Gennie R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> grhendri@uci.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rhodes%2C+Katherine+T%2E%22">Rhodes, Katherine T.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Washington%2C+Julie+A%2E%22">Washington, Julie A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p2170-2184. 15p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis%22">Data analysis</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+values%22">Cultural values</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication%22">Communication</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+caregivers%22">Psychology of caregivers</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+acquisition%22">Language acquisition</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+power+analysis%22">Statistical power analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+Americans%22">African Americans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech%22">Speech</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Linguistics%22">Linguistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psycholinguistics%22">Psycholinguistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+context%22">Social context</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mother-infant+relationship%22">Mother-infant relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mean+length+of+utterance%22">Mean length of utterance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Regression+analysis%22">Regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Video+recording%22">Video recording</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Purpose: This study examined vocabulary growth in low-income African American English (AAE)–speaking toddlers aged 30 and 42 months. Specifically, we investigated whether traditional child-level language production, discourse measures, or maternal language input at Time 1 predicted receptive vocabulary growth at Time 2. Method: Language samples were collected from 101 African American toddlers during home-based play interactions with their caregivers at 30 and 42 months. Child and maternal language measures were derived from transcripts using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts, and receptive vocabulary was assessed at both time points using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Revised. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses examined the predictive value of child- and caregiver-level language variables, including interactions with gender. Results: Children demonstrated substantial vocabulary growth from 30 to 42 months. Caregivers demonstrated responsive, developmentally appropriate language and frequent spontaneous questioning. However, neither traditional syntax measures (mean length of utterance [MLU]) nor culturally relevant measures of discourse (caregivers' use of spontaneous questions to direct discourse and children's responses to questions) significantly predicted vocabulary growth. A marginal trend suggested that the relation between maternal MLU and child vocabulary growth may differ by gender. Conclusions: Although neither syntax nor discourse measures significantly predicted vocabulary, these findings highlight the importance of continuing to examine culturally embedded interaction patterns in AAE-speaking families. The results suggest that broad language measures may obscure variability in the discourse strategies caregivers use to guide and engage children's language and that more fine-grained approaches may be needed to capture how language input supports vocabulary growth across gender and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00398
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Data analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural values
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary
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      – TitleFull: Exploring Vocabulary Growth in African American English–Speaking Toddlers: Bridging Linguistic and Cultural Perspectives.
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              Text: May2026
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