Assessing the Quantity and Quality of Language Used by Mothers and Fathers of Children with Down Syndrome During Shared Book Reading

Young children with Down syndrome (DS) have language delays beginning early in life. Book reading with parents provides a context for capitalizing on language learning opportunities. This study evaluated the quantity and quality of language input among mothers and fathers of young children with DS during book reading interactions and investigated associations with child language. Findings revealed that mothers were more talkative and used more descriptive language, whereas fathers spent more time reading the book text. Moreover, maternal and paternal input were correlated with different measures of child language, suggesting that mothers and fathers may use divergent approaches to support language development.

Automated summary

This study examines the quantity and quality of language input from mothers and fathers during book reading interactions with children with DS. The findings show that mothers are more talkative and use more descriptive language, whereas fathers spend more time reading the book text. Additionally, maternal and paternal input are correlated with different measures of child language, suggesting divergent approaches in language development support.