The relationship between music and children’s language and communicative interaction at home and in nursery school.

1) Mus-IC – A Music Intervention program to support language development in children with Cochlear implants

The project aims to investigate whether participation in a music intervention program can support language development in children and improve mother-child communication and mothers’ wellbeing. The project employs a longitudinal and multi-method approach combining the use of a novel music intervention program, direct observations of mother-child interaction, and questionnaires assessing children’s vocabulary and music exposure and parent musicality.

Keywords
Cochlear implants, music intervention program, mother-child communication, child language, synchrony

Principal Investigator
Marinella Majorano, University of Verona

Project Partner
Cochlear Ltd.

Project Participants

Duration
24 months (January 2022 – December 2024)

Current state
Data collection in progress, preliminary analyses in progress, papers and presentations in preparation.

Presentations
Persici, V., Santangelo, M., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., & Majorano, M. (2023). A music intervention program to support language development in children with cochlear implants. Giornate CLASTA (May 19-20, 2023, Pescara, Italy and online). Symposium presentation.

2) Language and rhythmic characteristics in mother-child communication and language development after cochlear implantation

Using an innovative approach, this research project compares 20 children with cochlear implants (CIs) with 20 age-matched children in terms of the predictive role of individual and environmental factors for their communicative development and the characteristics of mother-child communication. The factors to be investigated include age of implantation, exposure to music and to speech in quiet at home, and parent musicality and education. Interactions between children and their mothers are observed during semi-structured play at four time points: before implantation and three, six, and 12 months after CI activation. Mother-child interactions are coded according to different indices of responsiveness, rhythm, and synchrony. Children’s vocabulary and home music exposure and mothers’ musicality and stress are investigated using questionnaires. Data logs of the children’s CI devices are used to gather information on children’s auditory input (auditory environment, amount of device use each day, auditory scenes, exposure to music).

Keywords
Cochlear implants, mother-child communication, child language, rhythm

Principal Investigator
Marinella Majorano, University of Verona

Project Partner
Cochlear Ltd.

Project Participants

Duration
24 months

Current state
Data collection completed, results presented at national and international conferences, articles under review and published.

Publications
Persici, V., Santangelo, M., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Gordon, R. L., & Majorano, M. (in press). Music exposure and maternal musicality predict vocabulary development in children with cochlear implants. Music Perception.

Santangelo, M.*, Persici, V.*, Caricati, L., Corsano, P., Gordon, R. L., & Majorano, M. (2023). The adaptation and validation of the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) in Italian: the Gold-MSI-IT. Psychology of Music. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356231204855

Presentations
Guerzoni, L., Santangelo, M., Persici, V., Cuda, D., Gordon, R. L., & Majorano, M. (2023). Vocabulary development in children with cochlear implants: the role of music exposure and maternal musicality. CI2023 Dallas Cochlear Implants in Children and Adults (June 7-10, 2023, Dallas, Texas, USA). Poster presentation.

Santangelo, M.*, Persici, V.*, Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Gordon, R. L., & Majorano, M. (2022). A longitudinal study of vocabulary development in children with cochlear implants: the role of music exposure and maternal musicality. Music & Hearing Health (MHH) Workshop (October 6-7, 2022, Oldenburg, Germany). Poster presentation.

Majorano, M., Persici, V., Guerzoni, L., & Cuda, D. (2022). Temporal and prosodic characteristics of infant-directed speech to children with cochlear implants. XXXIV Congresso Nazionale AIP (September 27-30, 2022, Padova, Italy). Symposium presentation.

Persici, V., Santangelo, M., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Gordon, R. L., & Majorano, M. (2022). Are vocabulary outcomes in children with cochlear implants affected by music exposure and maternal musicality? Workshop on Infant Language Development (WILD) (June 9-11, 2022, San Sebastián, Spain. Poster presentation.

Persici, V., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Florit, E., & Majorano, M. (2022). Coordination between mother and child with cochlear implant in interaction and the role of music exposure. Giornate CLASTA (May 13-14, 2022, Florence, Italy). Symposium presentation.

3) AMUSED – Le Attività MUSicali nei servizi EDucativi in una prospettiva integrata 0-6 anni

The project aims to support the transition between nursery and preschool, in line with the integrated system of 0-6 years education. Musical activities are particularly well suited to support well-being, relationships, and inclusion in different age groups: according to scientific studies, making music together has positive effects on children’s social-emotional development and parents’ psychological well-being. This multidisciplinary project intends to promote music and parenting support activities from a 0-6 perspective with children, parents, educators, teachers and coordinators of nurseries and preschools as protagonists. Specifically, it aims to: 1) create music workshops designed to promote the development of relational and linguistic-communicative skills and to support the inclusion and well-being of children in the two contexts; 2) organize trainings for educators, teachers and coordinators of nurseries and preschools; and 3) promote a parenting support path for families in a 0-6 perspective. The project will use a multi-method, qualitative and quantitative approach, with the use of questionnaires, interviews, and direct observation. The activities, in dialogue between the university and the local area, will be organized over three years and will involve one doctoral student. Dissemination of the results will be enhanced through meetings open to the public and the publication of articles in green mode in national and international journals.

Keywords
nursery school, adult-child interaction, child language, music intervention program.

Principal Investigator
Marinella Majorano, University of Verona

Project Partner
Municipality of Verona

Project Participants

  • Elena Florit, University of Verona
  • Ambra Natati, University of Verona
  • Valentina Persici, University of Verona
  • Irene Redondi, University of Verona

Duration
36 months (2023-2026)

Current State
Data collection in progress.

4) Mother-child interaction and language development after cochlear implantation

This project investigated the language production of mothers and their children with cochlear implants (CIs) in interaction, from before implantation to 12 or 24 months after CI activation. Mother-child interactions are coded according to different indices of responsiveness. Communicative functions and mother-child communication quality are also considered. Data logging incorporated into the CI is used to derive direct information on children’s hearing experience (auditory environment, amount of device use each day, auditory scenes, exposure to music).

Keywords
Cochlear implants, mother-child communication, child language

Principal Investigator
Marinella Majorano, University of Verona

Project Partner
Cochlear Ltd.

Project Participants

  • Manuela Lavelli, University of Verona
  • Elena Florit, University of Verona
  • Marika Morelli, University of Verona
  • Valentina Persici, University of Verona
  • Domenico Cuda, ‘Guglielmo da Saliceto’ Hospital, Piacenza
  • Letizia Guerzoni, ‘Guglielmo da Saliceto’ Hospital, PIacenza
  • Christine Yoshinaga-Itano, University of Colorado Boulder

Duration
36 months (September 2019-2022)

Publications
Persici, V., Castelletti, G., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., & Majorano, M. (under review). The role of lexical and prosodic characteristics of mothers’ child-directed speech for the early vocabulary development of Italian children with cochlear implants.

Persici, V., Morelli, M., Lavelli, M., Florit, E., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Yoshinaga-Itano, C., & Majorano, M. (2022). Bidirectional language influence in mother-child interaction and its effects on the lexical and communicative development of children with cochlear implants. First Language, 42(4), 499-522. https://doi.org/10.1177/01427237221086473

Majorano, M., Brondino, M., Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Ferrari, R., …, & Persici, V. (2021). Do acoustic environment characteristics affect the lexical development of children with cochlear implants? A longitudinal study before and after cochlear implant activation. American Journal of Audiology, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJA-20-00104

Majorano, M., Brondino, M., Morelli, M., Ferrari, R., Lavelli, M., … & Persici, V. (2020). Preverbal production and early lexical development in children with cochlear implants: A longitudinal study following pre-implanted children until 12 months after cochlear implant activation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 591584. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591584

Lavelli, M., Majorano, M., Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Barachetti, C., & Cuda D. (2018). Communication dynamics between mothers and their children with cochlear implants: Effects of maternal support for language production. Journal of Communication Disorders, 73, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.03.001.

Majorano, M., Guidotti, L., Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Morelli, M., Cuda, D., & Lavelli, M. (2018). Spontaneous language production of Italian children with cochlear implants and their mothers in two interactive contexts. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53,70-84. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12327.

Majorano, M., Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Guidotti, L., Morelli, M., & Cuda, D. (2017). Word learning in Italian preschool children with cochlear implants. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 26, 690-700. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijdhd-2016-0016

Presentations
Persici, V., Morelli, M., Lavelli, M., Florit, E., Guerzoni, L., Cuda, D., Yoshinaga-Itano, C., & Majorano, M. (2021). Il linguaggio materno e quello del bambino con impianto cocleare si influenzano reciprocamente: uno studio longitudinale. XXXIII Congresso Nazionale AIP della Sezione di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e dell’Educazione (September 21, 2021, Bari, Italy). Symposium presentation.

Lavelli, M., Majorano, M., Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Barachetti, C., & Cuda, D. (2017). Communication dynamics between mothers and children with cochlear implants: Effects of maternal vocal and gestural support for language production. International Conference “Language as a Form of Action” (June 21-23, 2023, CNR, Rome, Italy).

Majorano, M., Bastianello, T., Murari, C., & Lavelli, M. (2016). Caratteristiche e processi comunicativi dell’interazione madre-bambino con impianto cocleare. XXIX Congresso Nazionale AIP – Sezione di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e dell’Educazione (September 8-10, 2023, Vicenza, Italy).

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