These are the questions Dr. Melissa Clucas Walter, an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, has dedicated her research to.
Helping parents and other caregivers recognize the importance of their daily interactions with their child in shaping language development is an important goal of the research that Dr. Clucas Walter conducts.
Dr. Clucas Walter points out that “a child’s earliest experiences occur within the context of relationships, and the day-to-day interactions that occur within those relationships are the building blocks of the child’s brain.” She adds, “Warm, responsive interactions with consistent caregivers are essential to positive developmental outcomes.”
Dr. Clucas Walter has always been interested in development, but she became even more struck by the importance of these early interactions after taking a neuroscience class. “The idea that a child’s earliest interactions literally build the architecture of the developing brain was a powerful one,” she shared. “I realized that I could better support children’s learning and development if my research, teaching, and practice focused on how I could help to educate and support caregivers in understanding the importance of these early interactions.”
To meet this goal, Dr. Clucas Walter conducts applied research, meaning she implements interventions intended to make a difference in the lives of families. One of her current projects is focused on helping parents increase the quantity and quality of language interactions with their child. To do this, she is implementing a program called LENA Start in DeKalb County and evaluating the conversational turns between parents and children.
LENA Start is an evidence-based community program designed to help parents increase talk and interactions with their children under the age of three. Children in the program wear what Dr. Clucas Walter refers to as a “talk pedometer.” This device counts the child’s language exposure throughout the day in the same way that a pedometer counts steps. This way, parents are able to get feedback on the number of words their child is exposed to and the number of back-and-forth interactions they are having with their child.
“The hope is that parents will learn specific strategies to help them increase talk and interactions with their children, as well as benefit from social support of learning in community with other parents of young children. These early interactions are the basis for communication and language development, which in turn are the foundation for school readiness and academic success,” explained Clucas Walter.
Dr. Clucas Walter is actively recruiting families with children under three to participate in LENA Start. A new group of classes will begin in January. Interested parents may contact her at mcwalter@niu.edu to get involved.
Dr. Clucas Walter is also examining what may interfere with the quality of parent-child interactions. One possible culprit is mobile devices. In a recent study, she found that parents were less responsive to their child when the parents were using technology. “I don’t expect parents to never use devices,” she stressed, “but it is important to recognize that these devices can interfere with quality interactions. Ideally, there are times throughout the day where the device is put away and we are able to give a child our undivided attention, even if it is just for 5-10 minutes at a time.”
So, what are the implications of this research for parents of young children?
According to Dr. Clucas Walter, “The ultimate goal of my research is to help caregivers understand the importance of their earliest interactions with children and to support them in engaging in high-quality and meaningful interactions.” She wants to spread the word that language shared between parents and children during simple, daily interactions plays a critical role in children’s development.
About the author: Julia Ogg is on CISLL’s executive board and is an Associate Professor of Psychology at NIU.
