Assessing Assessing Quality Quality

Features of Features of Parental Parental Language Language Used With Used With Toddlers Toddlers Across Across WalesWales

Presented by: Nicole GridleyPresented by: Nicole GridleySupervisors: Judy HutchingsSupervisors: Judy Hutchings

Tracey BywaterTracey BywaterChristopher WhitakerChristopher Whitaker

OverviewOverview

BackgroundBackgroundLanguage DevelopmentLanguage DevelopmentLanguage & PovertyLanguage & PovertyWales & PovertyWales & Poverty

3 Objectives of the PhD3 Objectives of the PhD

Methods for Study 1Methods for Study 1

Preliminary Results for Study 1Preliminary Results for Study 1

News HeadlinesNews Headlines

Learning LanguageLearning Language

I recognise this colour.

What colour are you using now?

Green!

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Output

Green! Well done. Clever boy!

4. Labeled Praise

Language Development Language Development TimelineTimeline

2 Months:Cooing

3 Months:Babbling beginsStartled at loud noises

4/5 Months: Babbling consists of single consonant & voweli.e. da/ba

7/8 Months:Stringing sounds together into longer chains i.e. dadada

10 Months: Strings together different syllables i.e. damagaba

12 MonthsFirst word use

18 Months:Understands questions

24 Months:Words can be combined into 2 & 3 word phrases Understands approx 300 words can say 40 words.

36 Months:Understands 900 words can speak 200 words

Language ProficiencyLanguage Proficiency

Benefits of language proficiency:Benefits of language proficiency: Academic attainmentAcademic attainment EmploymentEmployment Less likely to develop socially Less likely to develop socially

disruptive behaviourdisruptive behaviour

Environmental FactorsEnvironmental Factors

•Inadequate Stimulation

•Emotional Problems•Inadequate

Opportunities for Child to Communicate

Poverty News Poverty News HeadlinesHeadlines

PovertyPoverty

Evidence to suggest children living in Evidence to suggest children living in poverty are at an increased risk of:poverty are at an increased risk of:

Behavioural problemsBehavioural problems

Developmental delaysDevelopmental delays

Social & Emotional incompetencySocial & Emotional incompetency

Language delaysLanguage delays

Language & PovertyLanguage & Poverty

Hart & Risley (1995) – High SES v’s Low SESHart & Risley (1995) – High SES v’s Low SESHigh SES parents directed11.000 utterances p/hr High SES parents directed11.000 utterances p/hr to their children comparative to 700 utterances to their children comparative to 700 utterances p/hr for low SES parentsp/hr for low SES parents

Stein, et al. (2008)Stein, et al. (2008) High SES predictor of low maternal depression High SES predictor of low maternal depression

rates, higher quality care giving & higher child rates, higher quality care giving & higher child language scores at 10 monthslanguage scores at 10 months

Care giving style at 10 & 36 months predicted Care giving style at 10 & 36 months predicted language scores at 36 monthslanguage scores at 36 months

Noel, Peterson & Jesso (2008) – Stress/ low-SES Noel, Peterson & Jesso (2008) – Stress/ low-SES & Language Development& Language Development Parenting stress = high child emotion = low Parenting stress = high child emotion = low

vocabulary scores & narrative lengthvocabulary scores & narrative length

Poverty in WalesPoverty in Wales

Pockets of severe deprivation highlighted across Pockets of severe deprivation highlighted across WalesWales 32% of children living below the 60% median income 32% of children living below the 60% median income

level (Child Poverty Strategy for Wales, Feb, 2011)level (Child Poverty Strategy for Wales, Feb, 2011)

Welsh Government InitiativeWelsh Government Initiative Head Start/ Sure Start/ Flying StartHead Start/ Sure Start/ Flying Start Areas highlighted as needing additional resourcesAreas highlighted as needing additional resources

£44 million invested over first two years in £44 million invested over first two years in targeted Flying Start areas from 2007 (£2000 per targeted Flying Start areas from 2007 (£2000 per child)child) Access to free literacyAccess to free literacy Additional Health Visitor visitsAdditional Health Visitor visits Access to parent & baby groupsAccess to parent & baby groups

A further £55 million to be invested in Flying Start A further £55 million to be invested in Flying Start from 2012from 2012

Objective of the PhDObjective of the PhD

1.1. Compare the frequency of quality features Compare the frequency of quality features used within parental language in low and used within parental language in low and high SES familieshigh SES families

2.2. Measure changes in the frequency of quality Measure changes in the frequency of quality features within a Flying Start population features within a Flying Start population who received a Parenting interventionwho received a Parenting intervention

Compare these results to a non-Flying Start Compare these results to a non-Flying Start sample & a Flying Start control samplesample & a Flying Start control sample

3.3. Assess potential mediators of the Assess potential mediators of the occurrence of quality features within occurrence of quality features within parental language on children’s overall parental language on children’s overall developmental outcomes & language outcomesdevelopmental outcomes & language outcomes

Stage 1 – Baseline Stage 1 – Baseline AssessmentAssessment

ParticipantsParticipants

Flying Start Participants (N=62)Flying Start Participants (N=62) RCT (Hutchings, Griffith, Daley, Gridley, RCT (Hutchings, Griffith, Daley, Gridley,

Whitaker, 2011)Whitaker, 2011) Recruited across nine Flying Start Areas in Recruited across nine Flying Start Areas in

North, South & Mid WalesNorth, South & Mid Wales

Non-Flying Start Participants (N=14)Non-Flying Start Participants (N=14) Recruited from Nurseries/Adverts/Flyers in Recruited from Nurseries/Adverts/Flyers in

targeted non-flying Start areastargeted non-flying Start areas

All:All: Consented to being video-taped during observationsConsented to being video-taped during observations Had data available for the baseline assessment & Had data available for the baseline assessment &

at a 6-month follow-upat a 6-month follow-up Child was aged between one and three years old at Child was aged between one and three years old at

baselinebaseline

ParticipantsParticipants

Low SES (n = 35) High SES (n = 40)

Mean age Mother (Yrs)

31.37 (7.22) 30.20 (6.43)

Mean age Child (Mths)

24.71 (6.28) 22.05 (6.56)

Gender of Child (M:F)

4:3 3:2

ProcedureProcedure

Home Visits (2 hour visits)Home Visits (2 hour visits)Parent Interview – Personal Data Health Parent Interview – Personal Data Health Questionnaire Questionnaire (PDHQ: Hutchings, 1995)(PDHQ: Hutchings, 1995)

Child Developmental Assessment – Schedule of Child Developmental Assessment – Schedule of Growing Skills II Growing Skills II (SGS: Bellman & Ackett, 2007)(SGS: Bellman & Ackett, 2007)

Parent-Child Free-Play Video-taped Observation Parent-Child Free-Play Video-taped Observation (30-minutes)(30-minutes)

Transcription & CodingTranscription & CodingHand-typed transcriptions from the final 15-Hand-typed transcriptions from the final 15-minutes of video-recorded observations.minutes of video-recorded observations.Coded according to Hart & Risley (1995) ‘Quality Coded according to Hart & Risley (1995) ‘Quality Features’Features’20% of transcripts independently checked & coded 20% of transcripts independently checked & coded by second researcherby second researcher

Defining ‘Quality’Defining ‘Quality’

Definition Definition

An essential or distinctive An essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or characteristic, property, or attribute. A characteristic, innate or attribute. A characteristic, innate or acquired, that, in some particular, acquired, that, in some particular, determines the nature and behavior of determines the nature and behavior of a person or thinga person or thing

Defining ‘Quality’: Defining ‘Quality’: Hart & Risley, 1995Hart & Risley, 1995

NounsVerbs

ModifiersFunctorsTotal Words

Total Diff Words

Initiations

ResponsesFloor-holding

Verb Tense2+ ClausesDeclarative

sImperativesInterrogati

vesAffirmation

sProhibitati

ons

Positive NegativeNeutral

(05:23)P: Where (Adverb) is (verb) your (pronoun) nose (05:23)P: Where (Adverb) is (verb) your (pronoun) nose (noun)?(noun)?

(05:25)P: Dylan (not coded) come (noun) here (adverb) (05:25)P: Dylan (not coded) come (noun) here (adverb) please (adverb)please (adverb)

(05:27)P: Come (noun) show (verb) mummy (noun) where (05:27)P: Come (noun) show (verb) mummy (noun) where (adverb) your (pronoun) nose (noun) is (verb).(adverb) your (pronoun) nose (noun) is (verb).

Total Words = 15Total Different Words = 9 Total Nouns =5

Diff Nouns = 3Total Verbs = 3Diff Verbs = 2 Modifiers = 4Functors = 2

Tense:Past = 0

Present = 3Future = 0

Adjacency Condition:Initiations = 1

Floor-holding = 2Response = 0

Valence = Neutral

Discourse Function:Declaratives = 0

Questions = 1 (Wh-)Imperatives = 2

Preliminary Results Preliminary Results II

Adjacency ConditionAdjacency Condition

Preliminary Results Preliminary Results IIII

Discourse FunctionDiscourse Function

Objective of the PhDObjective of the PhD

1.1. Compare the frequency of quality features Compare the frequency of quality features used within parental language in low and used within parental language in low and high SES familieshigh SES families

2.2. Measure changes in the frequency of quality Measure changes in the frequency of quality features within a Flying Start population features within a Flying Start population who received a Parenting interventionwho received a Parenting intervention

Compare these results to a non-Flying Start Compare these results to a non-Flying Start sample & a Flying Start control samplesample & a Flying Start control sample

3.3. Assess potential mediators of the Assess potential mediators of the occurrence of quality features within occurrence of quality features within parental language on children’s overall parental language on children’s overall developmental outcomes & language outcomesdevelopmental outcomes & language outcomes

Any Questions?Any Questions?Thank You For ListeningThank You For Listening