Enhancing Language Development through Shared Reading in Preschool Children in Albanian Kindergartens

Abstract

Language development is a process that occurs since infancy and develops throughout the life course. First years of life are crucial to this process as they make up what is called the critical period. Language development is actually the development of certain parts of the language system which should evolve and work in a proper way so to fulfil the outcome of human speech (Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff, 2002). These parts of language development consist on phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Language development occurs naturally in the environment the child is raised. But, not only nature does its job to help children develop their language, it requires that parents and care givers help by communicating with the little ones. Researchers assume that language can be enhanced by nurturing through frequent verbal communication, verbal play with peers and/or adults, alphabet toys, shared reading, etc. The present study was designed as a quasi-experiment aiming to test the impact of shared reading to language development in preschool years. Two groups of 17 children aged 3-5 were tested on their narrative skills with the Narrative Assessment Protocol (NAP) instrument. After the first test one of the group was subject of the experiment and the other group was let unchanged as a control group. The experimental group followed an intensive shared reading program while the control group continued the same routine. Results show that after a period of six weeks there is a high and considerable enhancement of the narrative skills (again measured with the NAP). On the other hand, the control group’s results show a minor change. Shared reading provides preschool children with wide lexicon, accurate syntax and morphology, and better understanding and use of pragmatics and semantics.