Parents’ spatial talk predicts toddlers’ spatial language gains

Young children who hear more frequent spatial language demonstrate better spatial skills (Casasola et al., 2020). Additionally, play contexts can influence how much spatial language parents use (Ferrara et al., 2011). However, most studies have focused on preschoolers and have not specifically analyzed how different types of spatial language within various play contexts relate to outcomes. The present study investigates how parents' use of spatial relational language (e.g., "next to," "below") and other spatial language during spatial and non-spatial play predicts toddlers’ concurrent and later verbal and non-verbal spatial skills. The study involved 169 socio-economically diverse 2-year-olds and their parents from the Northeastern United States. Dyads completed three structured play activities, including a spatial puzzle task and two non-spatial activities. At age 2 and 3, children completed modified versions of the Point-to-Spatial-Relation task (Casasola et al., 2020) and the Test of Spatial Assembly (Verdine et al., 2014). Parents' use of spatial relational language during the puzzle task predicted better performance on the Point-to-Spatial-Relation task concurrently at age 2 (β = .24, p = .02) and one year later at age 3 (β = .19, p = .04). Parents' use of other spatial language and spatial relational language during non-spatial activities was not associated with children's spatial skills regardless of age. Frequent exposure to spatial relational language within a spatial play context supports toddlers' concurrent and later comprehension of spatial terms, highlighting the importance of providing specific learning opportunities that promote understanding of spatial language. • Verbal and non-verbal spatial skills are correlated from ages 2 to 3. • Parents' spatial relational language predicts verbal spatial skills. • Context matters: only language during spatial play predicted spatial skill gains.