ERIC Number: EJ1068873
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1751-2271
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Talking Shape: Parental Language with Electronic versus Traditional Shape Sorters
Zosh, Jennifer M.; Verdine, Brian N.; Filipowicz, Andrew; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Newcombe, Nora S.
Mind, Brain, and Education, v9 n3 p136-144 Sep 2015
As the traditional toys of the past are quickly being replaced with electronically "enhanced" toys, it is important to understand how these changes impact parent--child interactions, especially in light of the evidence that the richness and variety of these interactions have long-term effects on diverse areas of cognition (Hart & Risley, 1995). Here, we compared the quantity and quality of the language children hear during play with either a "traditional" (nonelectronic) or an "electronic" shape sorter designed to teach children about geometric shapes. Spatial toys and spatial language, in particular, were explored since recent work has established that parents' use of spatial language links to children's short- and long-term performance on spatial tasks (Pruden, Levine, & Huttenlocher, 2011), and that spatial skills are relevant to success in learning mathematics and science (Newcombe, 2010). Traditional toys prompted more parental spatial language and more varied overall language than did electronic toys.
Descriptors: Parent Child Relationship, Play, Toys, Comparative Analysis, Children, Parents, Language Usage, Geometric Concepts, Spatial Ability, Electronic Equipment, Linguistic Input
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (DHHS); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1RC1HD0634970-01; SBE-1041707
Author Affiliations: N/A