Developmental scholars have long been interested in
documenting the social experiences that help explain within - and between - group
variation in children's early language and learning.1, 2 This work is anchored in the writings of scholars such as Bruner3, 4 and Vygotsky, 5 who posited that learning occurs in a socio -
cultural context in which adults and primary caregivers support or «scaffold» young children to higher levels of thinking and acting.