Junyi Yang

• Yang, Junyi; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Zhang, Wenjie (2026). Profiles of home literacy environments and their associations with language and literacy skills in Chinese preschool children. Early Child Development and Care. ISSN 0300-4430. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2026.2736195. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study used a person-centered approach to examine variation in preschool children’s home literacy environments (HLE) and associations with family demographics and children’s language and literacy skills. A total of 235 Chinese children (48% girls; M age = 5 years) from urban, mid-SES families in a central Chinese city participated. Parents reported on traditional and digital home literacy practices and resources, and children were assessed on receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, story comprehension, and character recognition. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles: low HLE (21.2%), high HLE (21.8%), and traditional, informal HLE (57.0%). Children from high HLE families scored higher than those from low HLE families in language and literacy skills, and higher than children from traditional, informal HLE families in literacy skills. Children from traditional, informal HLE families showed stronger vocabulary skills than those from low HLE families. Findings highlight meaningful heterogeneity among urban, mid-SES Chinese families in children’s home literacy experiences.

• Yang, Junyi; Furnes, Bjarte Reidar; Morken, Frøydis; Hanssen, Natallia Bahdanovich; Lie, Janaina Hartveit & Melby-Lervåg, Monica [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Screen Use and Children’s Language Development From Ages 5 to 7 Years. JAMA pediatrics. ISSN 2168-6203. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3490. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Importance: Concerns about screen use and early language development are widespread, and prior research has reported mixed findings. Many studies have not distinguished baseline differences from developmental change, leaving uncertainty about whether screen use is associated with actual language development in early childhood. Objective: To examine associations between children’s and parental screen use and children’s language development from ages 5 to 7 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based prospective cohort study included children recruited through municipalities across Norway in 2023. Children were followed up annually for 3 waves. Data were analyzed from September 2025 to March 2026. Exposures: Parent-reported child daily screen time (weekday and weekend weighted average), child digital device ownership, maternal and paternal daily social media use, and primary parent smartphone screen time at the onset of the study. Main Outcomes and Measures: Receptive vocabulary and receptive grammar were assessed annually using the British Picture Vocabulary Scale and the Test for Reception of Grammar. Latent growth modeling was used to estimate baseline language levels and developmental trajectories from ages 5 to 7 years, adjusting for parental education and household income. Results: A total of 747 children (mean [SD] age, 4.9 [0.3] years; 360 of 718 female [50.1%]) were included in this study. Most screen use indicators were not associated with children’s language growth. However, primary parent smartphone screen time was associated with slower growth in receptive vocabulary; each additional 1 hour per day was associated with 0.42 slower annual growth in receptive vocabulary raw score (95% CI, −0.66 to −0.18). Children who owned a digital device at age 4 to 5 years scored lower at baseline as follows: 5.13 points lower in receptive vocabulary (95% CI, −7.43 to −2.82) and 4.56 points lower in receptive grammar (95% CI, −7.56 to −1.55) compared with children who did not own a device. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, primary parent smartphone screen time was associated with slower growth in children’s receptive vocabulary, whereas children’s digital device ownership was associated with lower concurrent language performance. These findings highlight the importance of considering screen use within the broader family context when evaluating children’s language development and are potentially informative for parents and clinicians.

• Zhang, Wenjie; Chen, Chang; Yang, Junyi; Zha, Zihan; Ren, Lingling & Fan, Wei (2025). Modeling the relationships among parental expectations, the home literacy environment, emergent literacy skills, and early reading comprehension in Chinese children. Journal of Chinese Writing System. ISSN 2513-8502. 9(4), p. 286–286. doi: 10.1177/25138502251399228. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study used the Home Literacy Model (HLM) to investigate the mechanisms underlying parental expectations, the home literacy environment (HLE), early literacy skills, and early reading comprehension in China. A total of 235 children (123 boys and 112 girls; mean age = 59.47 months; standard deviation = 9.71 months) and their parents were recruited. Parents completed a questionnaire on their basic information, expectations for their children's language development, and the HLE. The literacy skills and reading comprehension skills of the children were assessed. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that formal home literacy experiences and family literacy resources promoted early reading comprehension by facilitating the development of receptive vocabulary and Chinese character recognition, whereas informal home literacy experiences did not predict early reading comprehension. In addition, parental expectations predicted all aspects of the HLE and influenced the development of early reading comprehension. The findings advance our understanding of the applicability of the HLM in Chinese cultural contexts and provide insights into the mechanisms by which parental expectations and the HLE influence the development of early reading comprehension.

• Yang, Junyi; Lawrence, Joshua & Grøver, Vibeke (2024). What else will I do when I start school? Preschoolers’ wh-questions in dinnertime conversations and their language development. First language. ISSN 0142-7237. doi: 10.1177/01427237241242177. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While it is established that parental wh-questions, as a high-quality language input, are associated with child language outcome, less is known about the role of children’s wh-questions in their language development. This study examines whether children’s wh-questions during a dinnertime conversation are associated with their receptive and expressive language skills. The sample consists of a unique group of bilingual children: 32 Chinese preschoolers (aged 3–5 years) in Norway. At the onset of the study, parents self-recorded a dinnertime conversation with the target child and other family members present. Over the following year, we assessed children’s receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and narrative skills in Chinese three times. Individual growth modeling revealed that concurrently, the density of children’s wh-questions was associated with children’s expressive vocabulary and narrative skills, but the association faded when controlling for family demographics. Significantly, even when accounting for all control variables, children’s wh-questions predicted their receptive vocabulary growth across one year. These findings underline children’s active role in shaping their language learning and development. This study also contributes to our understanding of bilingual children’s home language development. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

• Yang, Junyi; Grøver, Vibeke & Lawrence, Joshua (2024). Chinese mothers use idioms in shared book reading: A predictor for children’s Chinese vocabulary growth? Journal of Child Language. ISSN 0305-0009. doi: 10.1017/S0305000924000266. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Idioms play an important role in language; however, little research has examined idioms in children’s natural language settings. This study explored idioms usage in maternal talk during mother-child shared book reading and its relation to children’s vocabulary development. Thirty-three Chinese children in Norway (aged 3;0–5;5) and their mothers participated. We observed shared reading at the onset of the study and assessed children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary in Chinese three times across one year. Results demonstrated that mothers used an average of 1.8 idioms and explained one-third of the idioms. Maternal idiom usage was correlated with their talk amount and lexical diversity. Individual growth modeling revealed that the number of idioms mothers used predicted the growth of children’s receptive vocabulary in Chinese. We speculate that idiom usage could be an effective and understudied marker of parental linguistic sophistication. This study underscores the importance of idiom exposure in children’s language environment.

• Yang, Junyi; Lawrence, Joshua & Grøver, Vibeke (2022). Parental Expectations and Home Literacy Environment: A Questionnaire Study of Chinese-Norwegian Dual Language Learners. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. ISSN 0256-8543. doi: 10.1080/02568543.2022.2098427. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examined how parental expectations were associated with Chinese-Norwegian dual language learners’ Chinese language skills. A total of 118 Chinese parents in Norway completed a questionnaire in which they reported their expectations for their children’s Chinese language development, characteristics of the home literacy environment (resources and practices), and children’s Chinese language skills. The children were ages 1;6–14;0 (M = 6;2, SD = 2;6) and spoke Chinese at home while learning Norwegian in preschool and school. We found that parental expectations positively linked to parent-reported Chinese language skills. Moreover, this link was partially a factor of children’s Chinese home literacy environment. The results suggest that parents who manifested their expectations by facilitating a rich home literacy environment (i.e., children’s books and activities like shared reading, storytelling, listening to songs, online chatting with Chinese relatives, and playing with Chinese friends) supported their children’s Chinese language skills. By documenting parents’ efforts and their association with improved language outcomes, this study adds nuance to our understanding of the high expectations set by Chinese immigrant parents, and provides implications for parents, teachers, and researchers.

• Yang, Junyi & Lawrence, Joshua (2022). Multimodal Literacies at Home: A Survey Study of Chinese-Norwegian Bilingual Children. In Brown, Sally & Hao, Ling (Ed.), Multimodal Literacies in Young Emergent Bilinguals: Beyond Print-Centric Practices. Multilingual Matters. ISSN 9781800412361. p. 261–273. doi: 10.21832/9781800412361-023. Full text in Research Archive

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• Yang, Junyi (2026). Scrolling on your phone in front of a child is worse for their brain than giving them a screen, study finds | Daily Mail Online. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Just an hour of scrolling on your phone can wreck a child's language skills, research has suggested.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Welche Smartphonezeit dem Wortschatz von Kindern wirklich schadet - Mensch - derStandard.at › Wissenschaft. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Eine neue Studie legt nahe, dass die Sprachentwicklung von 5- bis 7-Jährigen weniger unter deren Bildschirmzeit als jener der Betreuungsperson leiden dürfte

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Excess Smartphone Use by Parents Might Lead to Language Delays in Kids. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Spending too much time on a smartphone can lead to slower vocabulary growth in children, except that it was parental smartphone overuse that was linked with the language delays.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). MSN.com - Scrolling on your phone in front of a child is worse for their brain than giving them a screen. [Internet]. MSN.com. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mums and dads who spend more than an hour a day scrolling on their phones could be making their child less intelligent, a study has suggested. Parents' screen time had a greater effect on children's speech than how much youngsters used devices, while five-year-olds who owned tablets or phones were found to have poorer language skills than those who didn't.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Skjermbruken til foreldra blir knytt til svakare språkutvikling hos barn. [Journal]. Utdanningnytt. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ein ny norsk studie viser at mobilbruken til foreldra og dei digitale einingane barna eig sjølve, har meir å seie for språket til barna enn skjermtida deira.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Fant at foreldres skjermbruk er relatert til barns språkutvikling. [Journal]. Barnehage.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Den nylig publiserte studien antyder at sammenhengen mellom skjermbruk og barns språk ikke bare handler om barnets egen skjermtid, men om familiens digitale hverdag som helhet.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Skjermbruk, Skjermtid | Foreldres skjermtid kan påvirke barns språkutvikling. [Journal]. Nettavisen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norske forskere har fulgt 747 barn i to år og funnet at foreldrenes skjermbruk kan ha større betydning for barns språkutvikling enn barnets egen skjermtid.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Foreldres skjermtid kan påvirke barns språkutvikling - adressa.no. [Journal]. Adresseavisen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norske forskere har fulgt 747 barn i to år og funnet at foreldrenes skjermbruk kan ha større betydning for barns språkutvikling enn barnets egen skjermtid.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Foreldres skjermtid kan påvirke barns språkutvikling - smp.no. [Journal]. Sunnmørsposten. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norske forskere har fulgt 747 barn i to år og funnet at foreldrenes skjermbruk kan ha større betydning for barns språkutvikling enn barnets egen skjermtid.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Foreldres skjermtid kan påvirke barns språkutvikling. [Journal]. Bergens Tidende. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norske forskere har fulgt 747 barn i to år og funnet at foreldrenes skjermbruk kan ha større betydning for barns språkutvikling enn barnets egen skjermtid.

• Wang, Lei; Yang, Junyi; Scherer, Ronny; Melby-Lervåg, Monica & Anmarkrud, Øistein (2026). The Relationship Between Screen Use and Language and Literacy Skills in Childhood: The Roles of Family SES and Children's Prior Ability. doi: https:/www.triplesr.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/detailed_programme%20July%2015%202026.pdf. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi (2026). Parents’ screen time – not kids’ – linked to slower vocabulary growth. [Internet]. Earth.com. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Worried about your child's screen time? A study suggests parents' own phone habits may be worth paying more attention to.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Ny norsk studie: Sammenheng mellom foreldres skjermbruk og barns språkutvikling. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Resultatene viser at det er en sammenheng mellom mer skjermtid og barns språkutvikling - men det er ikke hovedsakelig barnas egen skjermbruk som er det mest avgjørende.

• Yang, Junyi (2026). Ny norsk studie om foreldres skjermbruk: – Kan være en risikofaktor. [Internet]. Vg.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ferske funn viser at barns språkutvikling kan gå tregere når foreldre har høy skjermtid.

• Wandem, Fredrik Solli & Yang, Junyi (2026). Foreldres skjermbruk kan påvirke barnas språkutvikling. Forskning.no. ISSN 1891-635X. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  En stor norsk studie antyder at sammenhengen mellom skjermbruk og barns språk ikke bare handler om barnets egen skjermtid.

• Yang, Junyi; Grøver, Vibeke & Lawrence, Joshua (2025). Chinese mothers' use of idioms in shared book reading: a predictor for children's Chinese vocabulary growth. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi; Melby-Lervåg, Monica & Anmarkrud, Øistein (2025). Dialing in: how mothers' phone use relates to child language development. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi & Bratlie, Siri Steffensen (2025). Home Literacy Environment Profiles and Associations with Children's Language Outcomes. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi; Grøver, Vibeke & Lawrence, Joshua (2023). Idioms exposure in shared book reading and child vocabulary growth: An exploratory study. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi; Grøver, Vibeke & Lawrence, Joshua (2022). Analyzing Mothers' Use of Chinese Idioms (Chengyu) in Natural Home Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Yang, Junyi; Lawrence, Joshua & Grøver, Vibeke (2022). Mothers' Linguistic Input During Shared Book Reading and Dual Language Learners' Home Language Skills. Full text in Research Archive

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