Poor immigrant Latinas have healthy babies, but by age 2 or 3, their toddlers begin to lag behind white middle-class children in vocabulary, listening and problem-solving skills, according to two studies released Tuesday.
I still think it's the genes. Kids can learn a language at that age very quickly. And learning a language, even more than one, can be done by children with a very low IQ. Just think about it, even retarded children learn a language and learn to talk depending on how retarded they are. I don't know at what level it become not possible, but it's very, very low. There's something else besides environment going on here.
I disagree. It's got to be environment. It makes complete sense that, starting around age 2, Latino children from poor, immigrant families would start to fall behind. Why? Simple. They're hearing a narrower display of language and more limited vocabulary. Further, I'll venture to say that children of any race who have parents with limited education, are largely at a disadvantage to the offspring of better educated mothers and fathers. It's a question of what you're exposed to. At that age, the vast majority of your experience is your immediate family members.
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