Parents differ in numerous ways, including how they engage verbally and non-verbally with their infants. As the most important source of learning, parents play a key role in teaching critical skills such as language and communication. However, despite the vital role parents play, most research on how children acquire language has focused on identifying general learning mechanisms, often ignoring individual differences among parents. This approach assumes a "one-size-fits-all" model, leading to general recommendations for all parents. In reality, parenting styles vary widely, and more individualised guidance may be more effective.

Our project aims to fill this gap by investigating how individual parenting styles affect language development. Rather than focusing on isolated mechanisms, we propose a data-driven approach to explore how parents function as "language coaches" for their infants. By moving away from idealised, uniform learning models, we seek to uncover how different styles contribute to language acquisition.

Traditionally, research has looked at individual behaviors—such as pitch, speech rate, or vocabulary—separately as predictors of language outcomes. This overlooks how parents combine strategies during interactions. Some parents may rely on prosodic features like varied pitch and slower speech, while others use repetition to reinforce associations between objects and words. Meanwhile, others may provide more varied input, responding rapidly to their child's shifting focus during play. These varied, yet effective approaches highlight the need to understand how different parenting strategies foster language development.

Our project challenges the assumption that all parents should follow the same guidelines to support language development. We will investigate how different combinations of parental behaviours, or "coaching styles," contribute to language learning.

The aim of this project is to investigate the impact of different parental coaching styles on early language development. Specifically, we seek to:

Identify consistent patterns in how parents modify their speech and interaction when engaging with their children.
Examine the connection between these coaching styles and the synchrony observed in parent-infant interactions.

To achieve these goals, we will use cluster analysis, a data-driven method that identifies natural groupings in parental speech and communication behaviours. This allows us to explore how different aspects of speech—such as pitch, speed, and vocabulary—combine with interaction styles, like following or directing a child’s attention.

We will analyse a unique dataset of video recordings from head-mounted cameras worn by both parents and infants during free-play sessions, collected as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). These recordings offer an in-depth, dual-perspective view of parent-infant interactions, capturing the dynamics of communication and engagement in naturalistic settings. By studying this data, we aim to identify clusters of distinct parenting styles and link them to children's language development outcomes. Furthermore, we will explore how parental characteristics, such as anxiety or depression, may influence these parenting styles and their potential impact on language acquisition.

This project will enhance our understanding of diverse parenting strategies, enabling more personalised support, particularly for families with children experiencing language delays. When recommendations feel natural for parents, they are easier to follow, increasing the potential for positive impacts on children's development. Our findings could help shape more effective support programmes for parents, educators, and policymakers by providing practical, tailored advice that reflects individual differences in language coaching styles.