Reading is not the only way parents can promote their young child’s language development. Singing songs and telling stories are language-rich activities that are also typically rich in cultural traditions, thus contributing to a child’s positive identity. Important features of many songs and stories are repetition, internal structure, and multiple perspectives—all features that help children develop the skills that underlie school success. Not all parents are comfortable with reading or have the appropriate materials, so encouraging parents to use songs and stories to nurture their child’s language development is a smart strategy.
The denominator is children ages 0-2. The numerator is children ages 0-2 whose family members report singing or telling stories to them every day. State of Babies Yearbook: 2023 estimates are based on a five year (2016-2020) combined sample of the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). These results are more reliable than the results presented in SoBY 2022, which were based on four years of NSCH data (2016 – 2019), SoBY 2021, which were based on three years of NSCH data (2016-2019), SoBY 2020, which were based on two years of NSCH data (2016-2017), or SoBY 2019, which were based on 2016 NSCH data. They should be considered improved estimates, not new estimates that can be compared directly to the 2022, 2021, 2020 or 2019 yearbook estimates.
This indicator can be disaggregated by race/ethnicity and income. Race/ethnicity: The child’s race/ethnicity is reported by their caregiver, and the included subgroups are Hispanic of all races, Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, and Non-Hispanic Asian. The US Census Bureau recommends against using state or national population estimates for the following groups with the NSCH since these categories are not controlled independently: American Indian and Alaska Native, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and some “Other” and “Two or More Races” categories, so those estimates are not presented. In 2019, the “some other race” race category was removed from the questionnaire. Missing responses were imputed and categorized into existing race groups. Income: NSCH derives household income-to-poverty ratios based on family income and household size. Missing values were imputed by the Census Bureau, and the single imputation version provided in the 2016-2020 data files is used. Households with incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty line are classified as low-income. Households with incomes at or above 200 percent of the federal poverty line are considered not low-income.
Sources:
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2017). 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) Stata Constructed Data Set. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by Cooperative Agreement U59MC27866 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). www.childhealthdata.org
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2018). 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) Stata Constructed Data Set. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by Cooperative Agreement U59MC27866 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). www.childhealthdata.org
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2019). 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) Stata Constructed Data Set. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by Cooperative Agreement U59MC27866 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). www.childhealthdata.org
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2020). 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) Stata Constructed Data Set. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by Cooperative Agreement U59MC27866 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). www.childhealthdata.org
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2021). 2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) Stata Constructed Data Set. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by Cooperative Agreement U59MC27866 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). www.childhealthdata.org