Promoting Toddlers' Language Development Through Community-Based Intervention

Abstract

This study evaluated an adaptation of a developmentally based, 6-week parent–child reading program (“dialogic reading”) demonstrated to facilitate vocabulary and syntactic skills of toddlers, including those at risk for language problems. In this study, dialogic reading was modified for broad dissemination through four branches of a city library system. Children's librarians taught parents the reading techniques in two 1-hour sessions. The study design was an efficacy trial with two thirds of families randomly assigned to the dialogic reading condition n = 88 and one third to a comparison condition. The comparison condition was comprised of existing library services for parents and children n = 41 . Analysis of baseline to post-test change showed a significant intervention-group effect on parent–child reading style and children's expressive language. In addition, at a 3-month follow-up assessment, parents in the dialogic reading group reported less parenting stress, specifically stress resulting from characteristics of their child.