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Examining the associations between children's receptive language skills and developmental domains in the United States and Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2019

Tulin GULER YILDIZ ,
Mubeccel GONEN ,
Ayca ULKER ERDEM ,
Aileen GARCIA ,
Helen RAIKES ,
Ibrahim H. ACAR ,
Firdevs BURCAK ,
Figen TURAN ,
Sadiye CAN GUL  and
Dawn DAVIS
Tulin GULER YILDIZ
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood Education, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Mubeccel GONEN
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood Education, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Ayca ULKER ERDEM*
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood Education, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Aileen GARCIA
Affiliation:
Department of Counseling and Human Development, South Dakota State University, USA
Helen RAIKES
Affiliation:
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Ibrahim H. ACAR
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Ozyegin University, Turkey
Firdevs BURCAK
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood Education, Istanbul University – Cerrahpasa, Turkey
Figen TURAN
Affiliation:
Department of Child Development, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Sadiye CAN GUL
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood Education, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Dawn DAVIS
Affiliation:
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Hacettepe University, Department of Early Childhood Education, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey, 06800. E-mail: a.ulker@hacettepe.edu.tr
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Abstract

This study examined the relations between receptive language development and other developmental domains of preschoolers from low-income families, through an inter-cultural perspective involving the United States and Turkey. A total of 471 children and their caregivers participated in Turkey, while 287 participated in the United States. Children's development was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire for both samples. Different versions of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test were used for Turkish and US samples, to measure receptive language development. Results revealed similar patterns, with some differences, between the two countries. Receptive language predicted only communication and personal–social scales in the Turkish sample, while the US children's receptive language skills were associated with communication, problem solving, personal–social, and fine and gross motor development scales. These results were discussed in the context of each country, and the comparative conclusions contribute to the extant literature by illustrating the importance of language for three domains.

Keywords

receptive languagepreschoolerscross-cultural research
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , May 2019 , pp. 480 - 500
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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