Iconic gestures on L1 vocabulary acquisition in kindergarteners: A preliminary study

In typically developing children, language and motor skills are closely interconnected, and gestures may support vocabulary acquisition. Previous research has demonstrated that iconic gestures—those illustrating part of a word's meaning—can enhance learning when observed or imitated. However, most studies have focused on second language (L2) or artificial language learning, with few examining first language (L1) vocabulary acquisition. This preliminary study investigates L1 word learning in French kindergarten children (ages 5–6), focusing on the impact of gestures compared to pictures. Using a within-subject design, 30 children learned 10 new words across two learning conditions: gesture reproduction and picture presentation. The main aim was to assess whether reproducing gestures during learning is more effective than viewing pictures, based on the idea that motor engagement could improve both phonological and semantic memory representations, thereby supporting both fast and slow mapping processes. To evaluate learning outcomes, children completed comprehension (word recognition), production (free recall and naming), and definition tasks to assess the depth of word knowledge. Additional measures included children’s initial vocabulary levels and manual dexterity to examine their potential influence on learning performance, particularly in the gesture condition. Findings revealed that the effectiveness of gesture-based learning varied depending on the task. Notably, for the definition task, the benefit of iconic gestures was influenced by the child’s initial vocabulary level. These results support the use of pedagogical iconic gestures as an effective teaching tool, while highlighting the importance of considering individual learner characteristics in educational practices. • One of few L1 studies linking gesture use to deep vocabulary learning. • Gesture benefits depend on task type and initial vocabulary level. • Vocabulary level modulates gesture effects on word meaning (definition task). • Rasch modeling ensured psychometric quality of vocabulary tasks. • Motor engagement supports deeper word encoding and recall.