Effects of Instructional Condition on Preschool Children's Novel Word Learning

Abstract

Converging evidence suggests that children's exposure to complex vocabulary during the preschool years has an impact on their later reading achievement. Yet, the most efficient way to incorporate vocabulary instruction into preschool classrooms remains an open question. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate effects of instructional condition on novel word learning. Four 4-year-old children participated in an adapted alternating treatments design for a total of 12 weeks. One storybook with embedded vocabulary instruction was presented each week; children either listened to a prerecorded narration under headphones (automated condition) or listened to the instructionist read aloud (instructionist-led condition). Thirty-six novel words were taught through robust vocabulary instruction, 18 in each condition. Improvement rate difference (R. I. Parker, K. J. Vannest, & L. Brown, 2009) was used as a measure of effect size. The number of words and depth to which they were learned varied considerably from participant to participant; however, consistent patterns emerged. Despite children's stated preference for the automated condition, participants generally learned more words to a greater depth in the instructionist-led condition.

Engaging, Explicit, and Elaborated

“…Another limitation, shared by many studies of vocabulary interventions (e.g., Bass & Barron, 2014; Dennis et al, 2016), is that we only assessed children on researcher-developed assessments rather than also administering a standardized, distal measure that also could have helped characterize children's baseline language skills. Our main goal in this initial pilot study was to demonstrate the potential of our package of instructional strategies and PD supports.…”

Effects of Teacher- Versus Application-Delivered Instruction on the Expressive Vocabulary of At-Risk Preschool Children

“…Recent research including interventions delivered via digital platforms (i.e., electronic storybooks with varying interactive features) provides evidence for these platforms to support vocabulary learning in both preschool and kindergarten populations (Paciga, 2015;Shamir et al, 2012;Smeets & Bus, 2012, 2015. For example, a study comparing an interventionist-led condition versus an automated condition on preschool children's learning of novel, complex vocabulary found children learned novel words under both conditions (Bass & Barron, 2014). However, each of the children demonstrated very different learning patterns, including which words were learned and the number of exposures required to show changes in depth of word knowledge.…”