The word gap, otherwise referred to as the 30 million word gap, describes the gap in how many words are heard by a young child who is from a low socioeconomic status (SES) family versus a child from a higher SES family. The term was first coined by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley in 1995, and though there is some controversy around whether the word gap is much lower than 30 million words (instead closer to a few million), the point remains that there is a marked difference in the vocabulary of children based on their economic background.
This article by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explores the word gap, how it manifests in small children, and some strategies to try to combat it and improve the vocabulary of all children. The article focuses on a study looking a 18 month and 24 month old children to determine the difference in language processing and vocabulary in toddlers of different SES backgrounds. Kids were shown pictures of two different object and then played a recording that said one of the object’s name and used it in a sentence. Eye-tracking software revealed that kids from higher economic background looked at the corresponding picture faster and spent more time looking at the correct picture, compared to the kids from lower economic backgrounds, indicating their knowledge of the vocab word and a faster processing time. In fact, the 24-month-olds from the low SES group were performing at the same level to the 18-month-olds from the high SES group, demonstrating the word gap in action from such a young age.
Thus, the word gap is clearly real and affects children in real and harmful ways. Not only will young children in lower SES families have less exposure to a range of words, and thus a less developed vocabulary, but the word gap may also lead to issues further down the line, including trouble with reading skills and school success in general.
So what can we do to eliminate this inequality? Although systematic changes will be needed to completely eliminate the word gap, as it is a result of systematic inequalities in our society, we can make small changes at home and in schools to ensure each child is exposed to as many words as possible in their early childhood. This includes reading to children daily, encouraging conversation between children, introducing new words on a regular basis, and using songs and rhymes to playfully introduce vocabulary. It is vital that both teachers and parents are aware of the word gap so they can do their best to combat it and set their kids up for success.
To learn more, read the full article here!
Afrah Rafi
UConn KIDS Research Assistant