Abstract
BackgroundChildren who enter school with limited vocabulary knowledge are at risk for reading failure. This study investigated the efficacy of an interactive e-book, implemented as a mobile application, to facilitate vocabulary learning in Grade 1 isiXhosa-speaking children (n = 65).ObjectiveThe purpose was to measure if an e-book intervention, specifically developed for use in the South African context, could facilitate the acquisition and retention of new words at different levels of lexical representation.MethodA randomised pre-test and/or post-test between-subject design was used where an experimental group that received the e-book intervention was compared to a control group before the control group received a delayed intervention. Follow-up testing was performed to measure retention of the new vocabulary after eight weeks. Mixed-model repeated-measure Analysis of Variance (ANOVAs) were used to determine differences between the participants in the experimental and control groups.ResultsThe short-term e-book intervention not only facilitated fast-mapping of new words but enabled participants to develop more robust lexical representations of the newly acquired words. Follow-up assessment showed that they retained their newly acquired word knowledge.ConclusionMultimedia technology can be used to provide explicit and embedded vocabulary training to young children at risk for academic failure. These findings are particularly relevant for South African environments where there is limited parental support and lack of educational resources to promote vocabulary learning in young children.
Highlights
South Africa is faced with an ongoing crisis in literacy and reading, as our children perform poorly when compared to international standards
Many South African children are at risk for scholastic failure because of the pervasive and persistent inequalities in educational resources, risk factors associated with poverty and limited parental support, and inadequate instruction in overcrowded classrooms
The main aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of an interactive e-book to facilitate vocabulary learning
Summary
South Africa is faced with an ongoing crisis in literacy and reading, as our children perform poorly when compared to international standards. The 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) showed that of the 12 810 Grade 4 children who were assessed in 293 schools across South Africa, 78% did not reach the low international benchmark for reading They could not perform basic reading skills such as reading for meaning, locating and retrieving explicitly stated information or make inferences about events or provide reasons for actions (Howie et al, 2017). Children with a limited vocabulary struggle with reading comprehension because they lack sufficient depth of word knowledge to process the meaning of more complex words or words in different morphosyntactic forms They have less efficient lexical processing skills, are less likely to learn new words from incidental or embedded exposure to words and need repeated and explicit instruction to acquire deeper word knowledge (Coyne et al, 2009).
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