Gender discrimination in environmental stimulation for language development of children

Parents who around children in the early stages of language learning have a great deal of influence on how and what they learn. Language experiences should be given right from birth and involve children in activities that demand close interaction between the child and the parents/care takers. Looking at the importance of language development and the stimulating environment in early years, which forms the basis for later development of the child, the present research was conducted on male and female children of Hisar district of Haryana State. Two hundred forty randomly selected children of 4–5 years of age and their mothers constituted the sample. ReyneU Developmental Language Scale (1985) was used to assess the language development of children and self developed inventory was used to examine the environmental stimulation in families. The results revealed that the male children were better than the female children in comprehension and expressive components of language but were inferior against the standards given by ReyneU. The mothers had better quality of parental and social interaction with male children as compared to females. In addition, male children also had more exposure to mass media than their counterparts which enhance their expression component of language.