The earlier the better! Shifting parental belief on the importance of early verbal engagement

The objective of this pilot study is to conduct preparatory activities for a randomized controlled trial planned for 2026, which aims to understand the role language acquisition plays in supporting early childhood development and later school preparedness. The study will assess the impact of a scalable, caregiver-targeted intervention designed to promote verbal engagement with children aged one to five, administered during routine visits to vaccination centers in the Philippines. Researchers will use a novel longform recording method to measure children’s language exposure throughout a typical day pre- and post-treatment. They will also develop Tagalog-language assessment materials to measure the impact of caregiver speech on children’s language outcomes. Finally, we will evaluate caregivers' perceived returns on verbal engagement with their children, as well as their beliefs about the dynamic between human capital accumulation and parental investment before and during formal schooling.