Cues for word-learning during shared book-reading and guided play in preschool

Abstract

The present study examines the perceptual, linguistic, and social cues that were associated with preschoolers’ (4;11) growth in word-learning during shared book-reading and guided play activities. Small groups of three preschoolers (n = 30) and one adult were video-recorded during an intervention study in which new vocabulary words were explicitly taught. Adult use of taught words was coded for perceptual and linguistic cues and type of social interaction. Hearing taught words used in the book text and learning information about words’ meanings during play was positively associated with growth in word-learning. Adult use of words in responsive, or child-initiated, interactions was positively associated with word-learning growth in both book-reading and play, while adult-initiated use of words was negatively associated with word-learning growth in both settings.

Shared Reading and Guided Play for Vocabulary Instruction With Young Children

“…Many students enter school exhibiting a risk for reading difficulties because they lack the oral language development of peers who have had more exposure to rich vocabulary (Nelson et al, 2011). Fortunately, explicit vocabulary interventions that incorporate shared reading and guided play have been a successful approach to helping students at risk for reading difficulties make gains in vocabulary development (Hadley & Dickinson, 2019; Justice et al, 2005). To assist teachers with approach, this article discussed five steps for designing intervention lessons:…”

“…Hadley and Dickinson (2019) report several language-support strategies that teachers should consider when implementing guided play for oral language development. Teachers can model how to use new words during a conversation and expand on student responses by restating the target word and providing an accurate definition of the word.…”

“…Researchers agree that frequent, multiple, and varied exposures to target vocabulary words increase students’ ability to independently recall word meanings (Beck et al, 2013; Hadley & Dickinson, 2019; Justice et al, 2005). Thus, the third step of preparing for this vocabulary intervention is to plan guided play activities that provide students repeated exposures to target vocabulary words (Hadley & Dickinson, 2019). The purpose of guided play is to reinforce words that were introduced during the shared reading portion of the lesson.…”

“…Therefore, to prepare for the last day of the instructional sequence (see sample in Figure 1), teachers will develop a scoring rubric for evaluating students’ understanding of the taught vocabulary (Justice et al, 2005; McGregor et al, 2013). Teachers will prompt students to verbally define the target vocabulary word by asking, “What is a [target word]?” If there is no response or partial response, teachers can ask a follow-up question, like “Can you show me or tell me anything else about [target word]?” (Hadley & Dickinson, 2019). The prepared rubric includes criteria for determining the accuracy of a student’s response (see sample in Figure 4).…”

Learning Words That Matter: Selecting Vocabulary Words for Young Children

“…Teaching children to ask about the meaning of unknown words is also an important complement to regular vocabulary instruction. Research has suggested that children learn more about new words when information about that new word is supplied in response to a child's comment or question (Hadley & Dickinson, 2019). These kinds of interactions are not a replacement for a systematic vocabulary curriculum (see Principle #1), but encouraging these questions, and answering them, creates an opportunity for bonus word learning and an atmosphere in which learning about and using new words is the norm.…”