The close link between poor vocabulary and behaviour

The relationship between poor vocabulary and behaviour has been closely discussed over recent years with a link between the two being recognised and reported on as more data is made available.

A recent study published in the British Education Research Journal can be summarised around two key findings:

Firstly, children with reported behavioural problems at age five performed more poorly on a vocabulary test at the age of 15, and secondary, teenagers in a millennium cohort study performed more poorly on the vocabulary test in comparison to a 1970s cohort.

This data demonstrated that those children with behavioural and emotional problems at a young age went on to have a relatively limited vocabulary as teenagers and suggests a decline in vocabulary more generally for the millennium cohort.

Media reporting from The Guardian in 2018 on a report commissioned by the Oxford University Press found concerns from teachers about the ‘increasing number of children with stunted vocabularies… and they fear “vocabulary deficiency” will hold them back educationally and socially’.

The survey saw more than 60% of respondents seeing increasing incidents of under-developed vocabulary amongst pupils of all ages which led to lower self-esteem, negative behaviour, and in some cases greater difficulties in making friends.

In an article written by Sue White, co-author of Walking the Talk: A Vocabulary Recovery Plan for Primary Schools, she highlighted that ‘children with limited vocabulary can therefore become frustrated when they are unable to process what’s being said to them. Frustration can then spiral into angry outbursts. Restricted vocabulary may not be the root cause of a child’s challenging behaviour, but it could certainly be a contributing factor.’

With so much evidence building up around this link, there needs to be action taken to help support these children and enable them to catch up with their peers for the benefit of their long-term development.

It is vitally important that teachers and school leaders pay close attention to vocabulary development, especially at a primary level, as it is likely to pay off academically for students and offer them vital behavioural, social, and emotional gains as well.