Does Teacher Talk Matter Too? A Meta-Analysis of Partial Correlations Between Teachers’ Language Practices and Children’s Language Development from Preschool to Third Grade

Language development in early childhood plays a vital role in children’s academic achievement and long-term development. It is essential to understand how teachers’ language practices impact children’s language development to improve educational outcomes. In the current meta-analysis, we examined the associations between early childhood teachers’ language practices and children’s language development from preschool to third grade. Of 14,852 articles screened, 118 articles from 104 unique studies were included, comprising 411 effect sizes, calculated through partial correlation, from 13,572 teachers and 112,533 child participants. Results revealed a statistically significant association between teachers’ language quality (e.g., linguistic, interactive, conceptual) and children’s language development ( r p = .11; p < .001). Meta-regression analyses showed that this association was stronger among older children, in classrooms with a higher percentage of female students, when teachers’ language practices were evaluated using systematic coding or when observed during language instructions. However, no significant association was identified between teachers’ language quantity and children’s language development based on the included studies. These findings emphasize the need to focus on improving the quality of teachers’ language practices in early childhood education through enhanced teacher preparation and ongoing professional development.