ERIC Number: EJ1302721
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0896-3746
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Family and Coach Responses to a Program for Fostering Infant Language
Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Knight-McKenna, Mary; Esposito, Judy; Redd, Caroline
Infants and Young Children, v34 n3 p204-224 Jul-Sep 2021
This study investigated family and coach responses to a two-year community-based research program, Strong Beginnings for Babies (SBB), designed to support families in fostering infant language development. The study focused on families of infants from low-income backgrounds, as these children may be at risk for delayed language development. The majority of participants self-identified as Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin. Three coaches were hired to work closely with participating families during a series of group sessions where they modeled language promotion practices, provided feedback on families' implementation of practices, and reviewed measures of infants' home language environments with families. Analyses of surveys, interviews, and documents indicated that SBB proffered a number of benefits for both families and coaches. Benefits for families included increased knowledge about the importance of and practices for engaging in language interactions with their infants, as well as a sense of community with other families. Benefits for coaches included personal and professional opportunities for growth and positive relationships with participating families. Challenges and areas for improvement were also noted. Although families expressed a desire for more frequent and longer coaching sessions, coaches reported concerns about inconsistent program attendance and acknowledged the complexities of families' lives.
Descriptors: Infants, Child Language, Language Acquisition, Hispanic Americans, Coaching (Performance), Family Relationship, Feedback (Response), Longitudinal Studies, Low Income Groups, Native Language, Parent Child Relationship, Spanish, Program Descriptions, Sense of Community, Family Programs, Attendance
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Available from: Wolters Kluwer. 351 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: 800-638-3030; e-mail: MR-WKCustomerSupport@wolterskluwer.com; Web site: https://journals.lww.com/pages/default.aspx
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A