The Influence of Socioeconomic Status, Home Environment, and Childcare on Child Language Abilities

The present study investigates the relationship between socioeconomic status, home environment, and amount of childcare on language of three-, four-, and five-year-old children. This study also develops a parental report measure of home environment. Results confirm the positive relationship between language and socioeconomic status. Findings on the positive relationship between language and home environment, as measured with the new Home Environment Questionnaire, are consistent with previous research using exhaustive observational and interview measures. Furthermore, results show hours per week of childcare are not related to language after controlling for socioeconomic status and home environment. This study confirms validity of the new Home Environment Questionnaire offering an alternative to measuring home environment which may suit a wider range of study circumstances. This new tool will allow researchers to better understand the positive and negative influences on children’s development.