Accelerating language development through picture book reading: A systematic extension to Mexican day care.

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates linguistic advances in middle-class 2-year-olds in the United States resulting from training parents to read with their children following a particular style. This style, called dialogic reading, encourages children to talk about picture books and gives them models and feedback for progressively more sophisticated language use. This research extends these procedures to a day-care setting using 20 Mexican 2-year-olds from low-income backgrounds. Children in the intervention group were read to individually by a teacher using dialogic reading techniques. The control group children were given individual arts and crafts instruction by the same teacher. Effects of the intervention were assessed through standardized language tests and by comparing the children's spontaneous language while they shared a picture book with an adult who was unaware of their group assignment. Differences favoring the intervention group were found on all standardized language posttests and on some measures of language production.

Effects of A Picture Book Reading Intervention Program on Young Children's Language Development and Print Concept

“…The results of this study further found that picture book intervention improved expressive language development which indicates the intervention program brought about a reduction in the developmental lag by one month compared with those at the same age. This finding was consistent with a series of studies conducted by Whitehurst and his colleagues: that picture book reading intervention may produce significant positive gains in expressive language for children from low-income families who attended day care (Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998;Valdez-Menchaca & Whitehurst, 1992;Whitehurst, Arnold, et al, 1994;Whitehurst, Epstein, et al, 1994).…”

“…A series of studies conducted by Whitehurst and his colleagues (Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998;Valdez-Menchaca & Whitehurst, 1992;Whitehurst, Arnold, et al, 1994;Whitehurst, Epstein, et al, 1994) showed that dialogic picture book reading intervention could produce significant positive gains in language development for children from low-income families who attend day care. Likewise, a study with 207 low-income children aged 3 who had been offered interactive book-reading intervention for nine months reported that the children in the experimental group appeared to improve their language development positively compared with the control group (Wasik, Bond, & Hindman, 2006).…”

Développement socioaffectif d’enfants immigrants de pays en développement : impact du programme ÉgALIté

“…Les résultats d'études portant sur la lecture dialogique indiquent que celle-ci améliore le développement du langage chez les enfants de différentes origines culturelles (Boyce et al, 2004;Jiménez, Filippini, & Gerber, 2006;Valdez-Menchaca & Whitehurst, 1992;Whitehurst et al, 1994;Wing-Yin Chow & McBride-Chang, 2003). D'autres études ont par ailleurs montré que l'amélioration du langage chez les enfants diminue le risque de développer des difficultés sur le plan socioaffectif (Brinton & Fujiki, 1993;Foster, Lambert, Abbott-Shim, McCarty, & Fanze, 2005;Gallagher, 1993).…”

Reading achievement in a large urban school district : an analysis of the effects of four reading programs on the reading growth of four reading ability groups.

“…Research has proven that when teachers understand and infuse modes of home literacy practices, students are more meaningfully involved in schools, students perform better in academic, behavioral, and emotional domains (Comer, 1984;Darling & Westberg, 2004). Children who have rich preschool literacy experiences that stimulate interest in script are at less risk for delays in reading development (DeJong & Leseman, 2001;Valdez-Menchaca & Whitehurst, 1992). These experiences include the availability of environmental print in the home as well as parents who read for themselves and with their child (Morrow & Young, 1997).…”