Enriching home language environment among families from low-SES backgrounds: A randomized controlled trial of a home visiting curriculum

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of the six-month 3Ts Home Visiting (3Ts-HV) curriculum, designed to empower socioeconomically disadvantaged caregivers with evidence-based knowledge and strategies in order to enrich the home language environment for their young children’s cognitive and language development. Using a matched pairs randomized controlled trial design, caregiver–child dyads were randomized into the 3Ts-HV intervention (n = 79) or Healthy Lifestyle control (n = 78) condition. Analyses of covariance revealed that compared with their control counterparts, the 3Ts HV caregivers were more knowledgeable about early childhood cognitive and language development, and provided more language exposure for and engaged in more conversational turn-takings with their child. The 3Ts-HV caregivers also utilized more praise, explanations, and open-ended questions but less criticism, physical control, and intrusiveness than their control counterparts when interacting with their child. Findings provided empirical evidence supporting the immediate efficacy of the 3Ts-HV intervention in enhancing caregiver knowledge, the quantity of linguistic inputs, and the quality of caregiver interactions in the context of low-SES households, controlling for caregiver education level, language skills, and marital status.