How to Improve Language Development of Preschoolers in Home Care

Özet

Background/Aim: The home environment is important for early childhood neurodevelopment.The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to research the association between familycharacteristics and language development in healthy preschoolers under isolated home care.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 115 children aged 5-60 months in isolated homecare. The preschool language scale (PLS) assessed the receptive and expressive languagescores of children. The scores of PLS were graded into 3 levels: high for the top 20-30%, low forthe bottom 20-30%, and moderate for the children in between.Results: When the covariates including parental education, age of the enrolled child, gender,number of children, and household size were adjusted, multiple logistic regression analysis(Model 1) revealed that excessive paternal screen usage (≥4 hours) had elevated odds ratiosfor both low receptive and low expressive PLS than counterparts, whereas early initiation(<12 months of age) of book reading significantly declined low expressive PLS compared tolate initiation of book reading. Preschoolers having grandparents’ social support have a lowerodds ratio for low receptive PLS than those having no support. Additionally, after controllingfor covariates, all the predictors, including paternal heavy screen usage, late initiation of bookreading, and absence of grandparent support (Model 2), increased risks for low expressivelanguage level.Conclusion: Poor language scores in a child might be the outcome of late initiation of bookreading in a child, absence of the grandparents’ social support for the mother in child-rearing,and excessive paternal television viewing.