Responsiveness and attention during picture‐book reading in 18‐month‐old to 24‐month‐old toddlers at risk

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the spontaneous responsiveness and attention during picture‐book reading in 18‐month‐old to 24‐month‐old children from at‐risk backgrounds. Twenty‐five, 18‐month‐old children in an early intervention program were randomly assigned to a read condition or play condition for six months. At each seventh session, all children, regardless of condition, were videotaped during reading. Videotapes were scored for children’s spontaneous responses such as pointing and labeling as well as mean duration of joint attention. Primary caregivers completed language measures for children at 18 and 24 months of age. Overall, there was large variability in the level of children’s spontaneous responses and attention during reading. Responsiveness increased from observation 3 to observation 4, whereas joint attention increased from observation 1 to observation 2. There were no differences in responsiveness and joint attention measures for the children in the read and play conditions. Measures of joint attention during reading from 18 to 24 months of age were related to language measures at 24 months. Implications for this research include a closer examination of individual differences in young children’s participation in picture‐book reading.