February 2, 2026
Young children develop crucial cognitive and socioemotional skills through everyday interactions with their caregivers within specific sociocultural contexts. Most research on the associations between the quantity and quality (e.g. linguistic complexity, conceptual content, and interactional features) of caregivers' language input and children's development has been conducted with samples from North America and Western Europe.
This is the first narrative review of studies examining the associations between Latin American caregivers' language input and children's cognitive and socioemotional development from infancy through preschool. Findings indicate that linguistic complexity, conceptual content, and interactional features vary across developmental periods and ethnic groups.
The review underscores the need for continued investigation of diverse communication and socialization practices both within and across communities in the region.
Ventura, A. C., & Leyva, D. (2026). Latin American caregivers' language input and children's cognitive and socioemotional development. Educational and Developmental Psychologist.