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Abstract
This randomized control study examined the effects of training in dialogic shared book reading to parents of preschool children from low-income families. The primary purpose of this study was to extend the literature on the effects of dialogic shared book reading in young children by including children who were younger (age three years), as well as by including children whose primary language is Spanish, and those children identified as having a disability. Participants in the study were 3-year old children (n=25) and their parents enrolled in one of three Plead Start centers in the southeastern United States. Approximately fifty percent of the parent-child dyads participated in a five week intervention which took place in the child's home environment. The remaining participants 'read as they normally would' with specified frequency and duration. The results of pre and posttest standardized measures in the areas of receptive and expressive vocabulary, language, and literacy skills indicated no significant differences between the treatment and control groups. However, comparison of pre and posttest means suggested modest changes in children's vocabulary scores as well as in the parents' frequency, duration, and quality of reading for those in the treatment group. Limitations and future research are discussed.
Keywords: Dialogic reading, preschool children, Head Start
Introduction
Children from low-income families often have decreased language and literacy skills upon entering kindergarten (1,2). This is attributed to decreased access to books and shared reading experiences and parents who often do not have the skills to engage their children in reading in a way that positively affects their children's language and literacy skills. According to Hart and Risley (3), by age three years, the correlation between frequency of adult verbal input and children's expressive language skills is .84. Following a two and one half year period of one hour monthly observations, research documented a widening gap of children's language skills from homes of professional, working class, and very low- income families (3). In a meta-analysis of almost 200 studies which examined the relationship between academic achievement and socio-economic status (SES), correlations as high as .73 were found (2). Therefore, it is essential to provide parents with skills to improve outcomes in language and literacy for their children prior to entering kindergarten.
Dialogic reading strategies have...