Plant Yourself Where Language Blooms: Direct Experience of Nature Changes How Parents and Children Talk about Nature

Abstract

The current study investigated the affordances of direct and indirect experience of nature on parent-child talk. Parents and children produced a wider range of nature words when exploring a park (direct experience) than when exploring a thematicallymatched indoor visitor center (indirect experience). Parents and children also produced more plant-related nature word types when exploring the park compared to the visitor center. Direct experience of nature increases the diversity and specificity of parent-child talk about nature, and mitigates the phenomenon of 'plant blindness' (cf. Wandersee & Schussler, 1999). Direct experience of nature provides an optimal context for children to learn the language of nature and consequently to cultivate children's status as custodians of the natural world.

Plant blindness and sustainability

“…This is implicit in the work of New et al (2007) and Fan covi cov a (2014, 2018) on the adaptive memory and information retention of students in terms of their awareness of whether fruits are toxic or edible, and of Schussler and Olzak (2008), who evaluated students' recall of plant and animal images. Age, gender and parental influence have measurable parts to play in how students relate to plants (Strgar, 2008;Cameron-Faulkner et al, 2017;Lindemann-Matthies, 2005). Likewise cultural context matters (Kohn, 2013).…”

Contributions to Sustainability through Young Children’s Nature Play: A Systematic Review

“…Knowledge about nature [51] Knowledge of local plants and animals [63,64,70] Knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships [59] Knowledge of growing/harvesting local food [63] Environmental awareness and knowledge [66] Use of plant/nature terminology [56] Table A3. Cont.…”

“…Early literacy skills [51,58,69,71] Increase in diversity and specificity of parent-child talk about plants and nature; use of plant-related terminology [56] Language development, vocabulary development, word acquisition [59,72] Verbal expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings [59,60] Communication skills [59,65,69] Writing skills [71] Cognitive: Math…”

“…Cont. [51] Use of plant/nature terminology [56] Knowledge of growing/harvesting local food [63] Knowledge of local plants and animals [63,64,70] Environmental awareness and knowledge [66] Environmental Literacy Development: Affective Attitudes and Values Connection to nature [53,60,70,71] Sense of belonging in/attachment to place [64] Environmental identity [63,64] Awareness of/sensitivities to natural/environmental surroundings [64,70] Connection to other living things [64] Affinity toward nature/biophilia [32,79] Cognitive: General Decision making [52] Choice making [67] Cognitive: Scientific Knowledge and Thinking Making, describing, and recording observations [60,69,70,74] Making connections and integrating information [60] Sensory observation of the world [72] Classification skills [70] Social and Emotional Development Responsibility for actions [52,66] Benchmark: Dispositions…”

“…Increase in diversity and specificity of parent-child talk about plants and nature [56] Language development, vocabulary development, word acquisition [59,72] Verbal expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings [59,60] Writing skills [71] Social and Emotional Development Prosocial behavior; decreased antisocial or challenging behaviors [32,52,54,60,76] Goal-directed cooperation or collaboration [51,59,60,76] Helping behavior-directed cooperation or collaboration [59] Positive peer play interactions (decreased play disruptions and play disconnections) [32,55,58] New perspectives [77] Other: Changes in play behavior Higher levels of pretend play [58] Dramatic play [57] Frequency and depth of dramatic play [74] Appreciation and respect for nature [51,52,59] Environmental identity [63,64] Awareness of/sensitivities to natural/environmental surroundings [64,70] Affinity toward nature/biophilia [32,79] Environmental dispositions and values; valuing of life within nature [32,65] Table A4. Cont.…”