The Relationship Between Receptive Language Development and Social Skills in 4-6 Years Old Children of Shahrebabak City, Iran

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between receptive language development and social skills in 4-6 years children of Shahrbabak City, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 46 (23 girls and 23 boys) children aged 6-4 years were recruited. The study inclusion criteria consisted of having normal intelligence and proper socioeconomic status of parents. Through single-stage cluster sampling method, two daycare kindergartens were chosen out of the preschools of Shahrbabak (according to Dr Human formula for sampling). We used language development and grading scale social skills test, with forms of teachers and parents. Exclusion criteria included low intelligence, hearing loss and uncooperative behavior. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used for analyzing the obtained data. Results: The results showed a significant correlation between some of the components of language development (grammatical understanding, listening and syntax in the form of teachers and phonological analysis in the form of parents) and dimensions of social skills. Also significant difference was observed in correlation between some components of language development dimensions and social skills (phonological analysis in the form of parents and word differentiation in the form of teachers). Also parents as well as teachers believed that some components of the social skills were more in boys compared to girls. Conclusion: Based on these results, not only receptive language development increases by social skills development, but also these skills were more in boys than girls at the age 4 to 6 years.