Early Child Measures Outpredict Input Measures of Preschool Language Skills in U.S. English Learners

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Title: Early Child Measures Outpredict Input Measures of Preschool Language Skills in U.S. English Learners
Language: English
Authors: Shannon Egan-Dailey (ORCID 0000-0002-0500-0371), Elika Bergelson (ORCID 0000-0003-2742-4797)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(5):1025-1038.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Contract Number: DP5OD019812
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Language Skills, Measures (Individuals), Language Tests, Prediction, Infants, Toddlers, Preschool Children, Language Acquisition, Longitudinal Studies, Vocabulary Development, Linguistic Input
Geographic Terms: New York (Rochester)
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals
DOI: 10.1037/dev0002019
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Prior work finds that some elements of language input or skills during infancy and toddlerhood predict later language skills. Here, we ask if combining these two sources of information about early language development improves predictions of language outcomes, using a longitudinal data set that captures early language input and abilities over the first 5 years in a sample of 44 American English-learning children. While several early language skills significantly predicted later language skills (Spearman's ρ = 0.44-0.63, p < 0.05), most infant input measures did not. Notably, the most robust predictor of preschool language was parent-reported productive vocabulary at 1.5 years. This suggests that early language assessments (e.g., parental-reported vocabulary) can be reliable measures of language skills with high predictive value for longer term language outcomes.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503383
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Prior work finds that some elements of language input or skills during infancy and toddlerhood predict later language skills. Here, we ask if combining these two sources of information about early language development improves predictions of language outcomes, using a longitudinal data set that captures early language input and abilities over the first 5 years in a sample of 44 American English-learning children. While several early language skills significantly predicted later language skills (Spearman&#39;s ρ = 0.44-0.63, p &lt; 0.05), most infant input measures did not. Notably, the most robust predictor of preschool language was parent-reported productive vocabulary at 1.5 years. This suggests that early language assessments (e.g., parental-reported vocabulary) can be reliable measures of language skills with high predictive value for longer term language outcomes.
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0002019
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        PageCount: 14
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Language Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Measures (Individuals)
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      – SubjectFull: Language Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
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      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal Studies
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Development
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      – SubjectFull: Linguistic Input
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      – SubjectFull: New York (Rochester)
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      – SubjectFull: Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals
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      – TitleFull: Early Child Measures Outpredict Input Measures of Preschool Language Skills in U.S. English Learners
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