Monthly Archives: January 2022

Sex Differences in Speech Acquisition

Boys underperform at school. One hypothesis is that boys’ poorer spoken language and comprehension at the start of schooling, aged 5, might be part of the reason, the initial disadvantage being amplified by the reduced engagement with school lessons which results.

In December I carried out a rapid literature review to examine the questions: (a) Is it true that boys have, on average, poorer language acquisition than girls prior to school age?, and, (b) If so, what biological and environmental factors are known to contribute to this sex difference?

The review was not done for the purpose of making a post here, but I thought I might as well make it available to anyone interested. It is here: Sex Differences in Speech Acquisition by Pre_School Children A Rapid Review.