This dataset examines language development with a longitudinal design and includes diffusion- and T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), task-based functional MRI (fMRI), and a battery of psycho-educational assessments and parental questionnaires. We collected data from 5.5-6.5-year-old children (ses-5) and followed them up when they were 7-8 years old (ses-7) and then again at 8.5-10 years old (ses-9). To increase the sample size at the older time points, another cohort of 7-8-year-old children (ses-7) were recruited and followed up when they were 8.5-10 years old (ses-9). In total, 322 children who completed at least one structural and functional scan were included. Children performed four fMRI tasks consisting of two word-level tasks examining phonological and semantic processing and two sentence-level tasks investigating semantic and syntactic processing. The MRI data is valuable for examining changes over time in interactive specialization due to the use of multiple imaging modalities and tasks in this longitudinal design. In addition, the extensive psycho-educational assessments and questionnaires provide opportunities to explore brain-behavior and brain-environment associations.

Morphology plays a critical role in effectively using and understanding a language. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that contribute to the success with which individuals are able to learn morphological regularities. This study explores the potential role of prior knowledge in learning derivational morphemes in an artificial language. Consistent with the Complementary Learning Systems theory, it is hypothesized that native English-speaking participants will demonstrate faster learning and consolidation for morphological regularities that are consistent with morphological structures in English as opposed to morphological regularities that are infrequent in English.