ResearchSingle-time studyEvidence: Small studyAges 3–7
Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children's Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function
Author or publisher Romeo et al., Psychological Science Published 2018 Reviewed by Edustack editors Last checked 13 Nov 2026
1What the study found
In a study of 4- to 6-year-olds, the number of back-and-forth conversational turns with adults predicted activity in language areas of the brain better than the number of words children heard.
2Why it fits this age
The children studied were 4 to 6. We list it from age 3 because the advice it supports, talking with your child, applies from the preschool years.
3Source and checks
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617742725 Romeo et al., Psychological Science. Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children's Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function. 2018. doi:10.1177/0956797617742725 Link working · 13 Nov 2026 · checked automatically every month