Language Development in Persian-Speaking 6- to 7-Year-Old Children

Aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of cognitive abilities, socio-economic status, home literacy training environment, and demographic characters on development of Persian-language in children. To achieve the stated goal 105 seven to eights students were selected on the basis of cluster sampling. These children’s mothers responded Home Literacy Environment and demographics questionnaires and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) and Test of Language Development (TOLD-P3) were administered on children. Results showed that all components of verbal IQ correlated with language development positively, but in non-verbal components, picture completion, mazes, geometric design and blocks were correlated positively with some components of language development such as relational vocabulary, oral vocabulary, grammatic understanding and semantics. In addition, language and literacy related resources and parents’ positive model in home literacy environment questionnaire were positively related to a number of language development components (such as picture vocabulary, oral vocabulary and relational vocabulary). The results of trend analysis using ANOVA indicated that parents’ education and family income improved language development, but there is no difference in language development between children who have been in daycare and children who haven’t been, and at this age, language development did not differ between males and females. In conclusion, it seems that Persian-speaking children's intelligence can predict their language development to some extent and familie's income and parents’ education, as well as, home literacy environment impact children's language development of Persian-speaking children.