AppPAROLA: A Parenting Web App to Promote Early Language Development
By Simonetta D’Amico
The research project “PAROLA. PARENTING APP FOR PROMOTING LANGUAGE ACQUISITION”, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN 2022 call), brings together three Italian universities with long-standing expertise in the study of language development and promotion. The result of this collaboration is AppPAROLA, a free web app designed for parents of children aged 24 to 36 months to support and enhance early language development.
The project involves:
- The Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari” – University of Bologna (@unibo, coordinator: Prof. Annalisa Guarini)
- The Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology – University of Padua (@unipd, coordinator: Prof. Maja Roch)
- The Department of Clinical Applied Sciences and Biotechnology (DISCAB) – University of L’Aquila (@univaq, coordinator: Prof. Simonetta D’Amico)
Together, these teams have developed AppPAROLA as a practical, science-based tool that allows parents to actively participate in their child’s language journey.
Why Focus on Early Language?
Language plays a central role in the development of both girls and boys. It is a complex cognitive function and a fundamental prerequisite for:
- Later learning and academic achievement
- Social interaction and relationship building
- Emotional expression and self-regulation
Typically, the main milestones of spoken language are reached by the age of three years. Supporting this phase effectively can have long-term positive effects on a child’s educational and social trajectory.
AppPAROLA was created precisely to offer innovative, interactive and technology-based activities that stimulate:
- Linguistic skills
- Motor skills
- Socio-emotional abilities
At the same time, the app helps parents make the most of the home environment, enriching the strategies they use every day to sustain their child’s communication and language.
The Central Role of Parents
Parents play a key role in both observing and supporting their children’s development. AppPAROLA is built around this idea: it gives parents simple, guided tools to:
- Monitor their child’s progress
- Recognize strengths and potential vulnerabilities
- Create daily routines that encourage conversation, play and interaction
By turning ordinary moments—meals, playtime, bedtime—into opportunities for language, AppPAROLA helps parents become active partners in their child’s growth.
Three Core Actions: Know, Observe, Promote
The theoretical and practical design of AppPAROLA is based on three main actions:
-
KNOW – Learn about language development
- A series of podcasts explains how language typically develops, what milestones to expect, and which signals may deserve attention.
- The content is designed to be accessible and concrete, so that parents can easily relate it to everyday situations.
-
OBSERVE – Track your child’s progress
- Specific questionnaires help parents observe and reflect on their child’s communicative and language abilities.
- This structured observation can support early identification of possible difficulties and inform conversations with professionals.
-
PROMOTE – Encourage learning through play
- Interactive activities and games for the whole family are provided to stimulate language, movement and social interaction.
- The proposals are simple, playful and adaptable to different routines and contexts.
Launch and Public Presentation
AppPAROLA has been officially online and free of charge since 1 November 2024.
The app is being presented to the community during a public meeting on Friday 7 February, at the Coppito Campus (Block 11) of the University of L’Aquila. The event is led by the researchers who contributed to the project and is organized by the Laboratory of Socio-Cognitive Processes within the Department of Clinical Applied Sciences and Biotechnology (DISCAB).
The meeting is especially aimed at:
- Parents of children aged 0 to 3 years
- Professionals working in early childhood services, such as educators, teachers and health professionals
The goal is to introduce the features of AppPAROLA, explain the scientific rationale behind it, and encourage its use as a daily resource for families and practitioners.
How to Access AppPAROLA
How can you get AppPAROLA?
- The app is available at: www.appparola.it/login
- Access is restricted and requires a code
If you are the parent of a child aged 24–36 months, you can request your access code by writing to:
psi.progettoparola@univaq.it
Once you receive the code, you can log in and start using all the features of the app.
If you are a teacher, educator, paediatrician or other professional working with children in this age range, you are invited to:
- Share the AppPAROLA link with families
- Talk to parents about the importance of early language and the opportunities offered by the app
In this way, AppPAROLA can become a bridge between families and professionals, fostering a shared culture that values early language as a foundation for future well-being and learning.
The Research Team
The project brings together a large multidisciplinary team from three universities:
UniBO (University of Bologna)
- Annalisa Guarini
- Alessandra Sansavini
- Chiara Suttora
- Mariagrazia Zuccarini
- Laura Menabò
- Caterina Verganti
UniPD (University of Padua)
- Maja Roch
- Irene Leo
- Raffaele Dicataldo
- Claudia Bellani
UnivAQ (University of L’Aquila)
- Simonetta D’Amico
- Maria Chiara Pino
- Marco Giancola
- Marta Sannino
Their joint effort ensures that AppPAROLA is grounded in up-to-date scientific evidence and responds to real needs observed in families and early childhood services.
