Book Reading Activities Research Articles

Action Research on Picture Book Reading Activities for Kindergarteners in Large Classes under the STEAM Concept

The STEAM education philosophy, as an emerging educational concept in recent years, has gained a dominant position in the educational systems of various countries due to its modernization and progressiveness. This philosophy emphasizes interdisciplinary teaching methods, focusing on the development of comprehensive abilities in learners. Many countries have integrated STEAM education into their kindergartens, and China has also begun to explore the integration of STEAM education into early childhood teaching activities.In kindergartens, STEAM education is more often integrated into scientific activities, with less emphasis on picture book reading activities. The author believes that integrating STEAM education into picture book reading activities is highly feasible and valuable for research. This paper, considering the age characteristics of young children and various other factors, conducts an action research study on the integration of STEAM education into picture book reading activities for older kindergarten children. Through action research, it is concluded that integrating STEAM education into picture book reading activities for older kindergarten children can improve their classroom participation, develop their self-exploration abilities, and foster the development of various abilities. The paper also proposes suggestions for the localization of STEAM education in China and further integration into picture book reading teaching activities.

“She feels and thinks”: Mother's emotion and mental state talk on book reading activities

Mother's emotion and mental state talk (EMST) in storybook reading context has been reported to be positively correlated with children's social understanding. Previous findings postulate that cultural context and book formats could affect the emergence of EMST. On the contrary, research about the EMST in the Indonesian cultural context and in various book formats is limited. Hence, further research needs to be conducted to explore the characteristics of EMST in Indonesian families. The current study aims to analyze which type of EMST is preferred by mothers in Indonesia, the frequency of EMST usage across various levels of reading difficulty, and the functions of EMST among Indonesian mothers. Secondary data were analyzed qualitatively from parents' video recordings of reading book activities. The main findings of this research suggest that, while most participants reported utilizing desire talk as a means of EMST, they were more likely to emphasize character descriptions, storylines, or general knowledge compared to EMST in shared book reading sessions. The lack of spontaneous EMST in Indonesian mothers may reflect the cultural influence on the expression of emotions and mental states in everyday life.

Leveraging Nudge Theory to Promote Adult Gesture Use During Read-Aloud Experiences With Young Children

Nudge theory, a strategy to influence decision-making, holds promise for enhancing an adult’s use of evidence-based strategies during a read-aloud experience with a young child. This study examined the effectiveness of a nudge theory approach in increasing adult gesture use during a book-reading activity with a young child. Notably, 31 adult–child dyads participated in two conditions of a read-aloud experience. In the control condition, adults were provided with a book without gesture prompts. In the experimental condition, adults were provided with a children’s book containing prompts for gesture use. Using a paired-samples t-test, adults demonstrated a statistically significant mean increase in gesture use of 27.93, 95% CI = [19.00, 36.87], t(29) = 6.39, p < .001 when nudges were available. This study provides preliminary evidence that a nudge theory approach can effectively enhance adults’ gesture use during a read-aloud experience with young children.

Impact of Protagonist Race on Preschoolers’ Engagement and Preferences in Book Reading: A Systematic Replication

In this systematic replication, we used an alternating treatments design to examine whether preschoolers’ engagement in book reading activities was greater for books with protagonists of the same race compared to books with protagonists of a different race. Seven of the eight participants were White; one was Black. The books used were identical except for the skin color and hair texture of the protagonists. We measured children’s initiations, responses to questions, passive engagement, and preferences for books. Children’s engagement did not consistently vary based on protagonist.

Do kindergartens mitigate or exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities in language exposure? The case of home-based and kindergarten-based shared book reading activities in China

Shared book reading is a well-established practice for boosting children’s language exposure and enhancing early development at home and in child care settings. The present study examined the socioeconomic gaps in home-based and kindergarten-based shared book reading practices in China. The participants were 1095 parents and 111 teachers in 69 classes from kindergartens in Chongqing, China. Differences in terms of the quantity of both home-based and kindergarten-based shared book reading across SES spectrums were tested. Multi-level modelling was conducted to examine the factors associated with the quantity of home-based and kindergarten-based shared book reading. The results revealed that the socioeconomic gap in home-based shared book reading and the resultant language exposure were significant. Family SES and home literacy resources were associated with the quantity of home-based shared book reading and the availability of literacy resources in the classroom is associated with the quantity of kindergarten-based shared book reading. Kindergartens did not mitigate the socioeconomic inequities of language exposure related to shared book reading. Intervention programs shall focus on improving access to both home-based and kindergarten-based literacy materials.

Empowering rural early childhood education through shared book reading and school-family-community partnerships

ABSTRACT The YuePu project was a community-based shared book-reading philanthropic project implemented in rural China. It is a literacy project utilized spaces in the rural community and invited parents and teachers to participate in free-of-charge shared book-reading activities with their children on the weekend. The reading activities and instructions were designed by literacy educators. The current qualitative study aimed to investigate, as demonstrated by YuePu, how teachers, parents and other stakeholders connect with each other as partners, creating a community-based project around children aged 3–6 in low-resource areas of China. The results showed that the YuePu implemented a school-family-community partnership to establish a supportive learning environment for children’s education and development. The findings provide implications for promoting community collaboration practices in other low-resource settings.

Action Research on Picture Book Reading Activities to Support the Development of Korean Emotional Vocabulary for a Child from a Foreign Family

Action Research on Picture Book Reading Activities to Support the Development of Korean Emotional Vocabulary for a Child from a Foreign Family

The effects of the Quality Book Reading (NIKO) early intervention program on Turkish mothers of children with Down syndrome and their children

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to examine the effects of the Quality Book Reading (NIKO) Early Intervention Program on Turkish mothers of children with Down syndrome aged between 2 and 6 years and their children. The research was conducted using the convergent parallel mixed design with 17 mother-child dyads determined by random assignment. Nine participants were included in the control group, and eight were included in the intervention group. The research was performed online. The research data were collected through video recordings of the mother-child dyads taken during the book reading activity before and after the intervention and semi-structured interviews conducted with the mothers after the intervention. Results revealed that the NIKO Program was effective on various variables, which are primarily children’s pivotal behaviours, interactional behaviours, and book reading behaviours displayed by mothers. Parents exhibited more quality reading behaviours and these behaviours positively impacted the pivotal behaviours and interactions of children. The above-mentioned results show that the NIKO Program can contribute to the development of children with Down syndrome and is an effective tool for parents to improve their book reading habits.

Exploring the relationship between extensive graded book reading and writing performance among third-grade students: a correlation analysis

This study examines the impact of long-term extensive book reading activities on students’ writing skills in a distinct context lacking prior research. Employing technology to monitor students’ reading, the research focuses on first language long-term reading activities, a domain unexplored in Taiwan’s education system. Tracking book reading over three years, the study unveils the gradual fulfillment of reading goals and explores the connection between extensive book reading and writing performance. The investigation also found that graded reading and Bridge Books’ roles in enhancing students’ reading and writing outcomes. Employing rigorous data analysis, the study offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between extensive book reading and writing performances. Findings reveal Picture Books and Basic Books as popular reading categories, influencing writing quality and word count during the revision process. However, there are potential trade-offs between quantity and quality of the writing performances, specifically observed in Bridge Books’ impact on initial draft and revision quality. The complex interplay between different grades of the book and writing performance emerges, suggesting implications for educational interventions and further research in enhancing writing performances through extensive reading.

A Curiosity Estimation in Storytelling with Picture Books for Children Using Wearable Sensors.

Storytelling is one of the most important learning activities for children since reading aloud from a picture book stimulates children's curiosity, emotional development, and imagination. For effective education, the procedures for storytelling activities need to be improved according to the children's level of curiosity. However, young children are not able to complete questionnaires, making it difficult to analyze their level of interest. This paper proposes a method to estimate children's curiosity in picture book reading activities at five levels by recognizing children's behavior using acceleration and angular velocity sensors placed on their heads. We investigated the relationship between children's behaviors and their levels of curiosity, listed all observed behaviors, and clarified the behavior for estimating curiosity. Furthermore, we conducted experiments using motion sensors to estimate these behaviors and confirmed that the accuracy of estimating curiosity from sensor data is approximately 72%.

Reading culture as shared ethos: A study of Finnish self-identified readers

This article advances understanding about book reading as a sociocultural phenomenon in the 2020s. We make a contribution to the cultural sociology of reading by investigating Finnish self-identified book readers by analysing the significance of sociodemographic variables (gender, education, age, and place of residence) in terms of reading activity and access to books. Our study is placed in the context of Finnish reading culture that is characterised by a particular appreciation of reading and measures promoting equal access to culture. Based on an online survey of 955 respondents conducted in 2021, our statistical analyses show that the social stratification of book reading activity that is prominent in population level does not recur within the specific group of people who identify themselves as readers. Among Finnish self-identified book readers, education, gender, and place of residence do not induce significant differences in reading activity. Our analysis that foregrounds inclination instead of quantity as a criterion for readers sheds light on reader equality from a different direction than previous research into nationwide reading habits or descriptive studies on avid readers.

Measuring Preschool Teachers' Language Use During Shared Book Reading With Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Opportunities to actively engage in literacy instruction should be accessible to all students in the classroom. Shared book reading provides a literacy-based context in which teachers may adapt their communication to allow students with a range of abilities to participate. The current study examines teacher communication during shared book-reading activities to understand what specific strategies teachers are using when children with developmental disabilities are included. Method: A shared reading activity was video-recorded in one classroom with and one classroom without students with developmental disabilities. Quantity of teacher communication was measured using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) tool, while communication functions were measured by adapting the Systematic Assessment of Book Reading. Survey methods reported teachers' typical classroom literacy instruction. Results: While both teachers used similar amounts of language, the teacher with students with developmental disabilities in her classroom used more literacy-related functions (e.g., referencing letters, phonics, decoding) to discuss print concepts and slightly greater communication to support comprehension of the story. Both teachers reported rarely—if not at all—using technology as an instructional strategy. Conclusions: SALT, an adapted assessment, and survey methods may capture differences in teacher communication during shared reading within heterogeneous classrooms. Understanding more about teacher communication yields important implications for intercollaborative practice to allow support for students with a range of abilities within inclusive literacy-based instruction.

Using dialogic reading and direct instruction of emotion words to increase emotion vocabulary knowledge in the preschool classroom

PurposeThis research addresses a need in early childhood education for evidence-based teaching strategies that build emotional self-regulation skills in young children. The intervention assessed in this study focused on increasing the emotion vocabulary of preschool-aged students.Design/methodology/approachThis mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact a dialogic reading approach combined with direct instruction of emotion words during a shared book-reading activity had on students' emotion vocabulary knowledge. The study was conducted in a licensed daycare center in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, with ten four- and five-year-old students. Pre- and post-session surveys assessed the intervention's impact on the students' receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge, and observation notes captured the students' responses to the intervention activities.FindingsThe results showed significant increases with small to medium effect sizes between the students’ pre- and post-session survey scores for both receptive and expressive emotion vocabulary knowledge, a strong positive correlation between the level of student engagement during the intervention and their emotion vocabulary assessment scores, and the impact other variables had on the intervention’s effectiveness.Practical implicationsThis research provides information on a culturally adaptable and quickly learned teaching strategy that could be used to build emotional self-regulation skills in the early childhood classroom.Originality/valueThis research uniquely applies this intervention as a universal strategy with preschool-aged children.

Teachers’ Views and Strategies for Improving Children’s Critical Thinking Skills

The study aimed to investigate preschool teachers' perceptions regarding the enhancement of children's critical thinking skills, as well as their employed strategies for fostering such skills. The study was designed as a case study, a qualitative model. The sample group consisted of 30 preschool teachers from Turkey. Data were collected using online interviews and examined using descriptive and content analysis. According to the preschool teachers, the study findings showed that Turkish-language and science-math activities are the activities that contribute most to improving children’s critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the preschool teachers stated that they mainly used the strategy of asking open-ended questions during book reading activities and least used the strategy of promoting the interaction/collaboration among students to improve children’s critical thinking skills.

Collaborative, responsive behavior in peer interaction

Background: Interactive work with children who have unequal cognitive resources and unequal access to language can be challenging. This article explores the collaborative labor involved in establishing alignment between a child with Down syndrome in combination with hearing impairment (DS-HI) and a hearing peer without DS, during a shared interactive book reading activity in an inclusive educational setting. Method: Video recording of children in a naturally occurring, shared book reading activity is analyzed using conversation analysis. The recording took place in the children’s school. Results: The situated shared book reading is regulated by interaction rules. A pattern of collaborative, responsive behavior where the children align to each other’s initiatives is identified within these interaction rules. Discussion and conclusion: The shared book reading format has a scaffolding function in the interaction. The findings illustrate how a typically developing peer is able to align to the sensory and cognitive capacities displayed in the child with DS-HI, and how this facilitates co-created meaning-making in the interaction.

Seeing mathematical learning opportunities in preschool situations: the role of teacher disposition and type of picture book

Pre-school teachers’ competence to see and decide to use learning opportunities in informal play-based situations (i.e. situation-specific skills) is key for high-quality pre-school instruction. Current insights into pre-school teachers’ situation-specific skills and their association with underlying teacher disposition and instructional materials are limited. We aimed to complement existing findings by systematically analysing pre-service and in-service pre-school teachers’ situation-specific skills in association with their underlying disposition and the type of instructional material in the domain of early mathematics. We assessed 274 pre-service and in-service pre-school teachers’ mathematical content and pedagogical content knowledge (MCK, MPCK), beliefs and situation-specific skills, operationalised as the mathematical questions they formulate during simulated shared picture book reading activities. Logistic multilevel regression analyses revealed a complex interplay between pre-service and in-service pre-school teachers’ disposition, the type of instructional material and situation-specific skills, pointing to the need for future studies on the topic.

영아반 그림책 읽어주기 활동이 예비유아교사에게 주는 의미

This study sought to examine the meaning that the experience of reading picture books in the infant class gave to pre-service early childhood teachers. The subjects of this study are two public daycare centers located in Nam-gu, G Metropolitan City, and classes for 1-2 year olds. The study participants were 10 first to third grade students attending the Department of Early Childhood Education at G University. Data analysis was conducted through the process of data integration, domain analysis, data classification, and interpretation of classified content based on the collected journals of pre-service early childhood teachers. As a result of the study, the meaning of the experience of pre-service early childhood teachers' picture book reading activities for infants was categorized into ‘the joy of novelty and challenge in the role of teacher’, ‘gift-like interaction time with infants’, ‘growth and development’, and ‘confidence through self-reflection’. In this way, activities linked to the early childhood education field provide prospective early childhood teachers with the ability to understand infants and recognize their value. In the process of preparing and executing the activity, infant development and developmental characteristics related to the activity are connected and analyzed after the activity. This can be an experience that supports the improvement of one's teaching abilities and allows one to develop into a better teacher. In this context, field-linked activities can be said to be an effective means that can have an effective and positive impact on the teacher training process and foster teachers with practical capabilities.

Exploring the impact of a co-designed shared book reading environment for families in a community hub.

Evidence supports the effectiveness of shared book reading for promoting language and literacy development, but it is known that families experiencing vulnerability may have reduced access to books and are less likely to share books regularly at home. Community hubs often provide support to families experiencing vulnerability and may provide an opportunity to create environments that support families to engage in shared book reading, especially if families are invited into the creation of these environments through co-design. However, there is currently little evidence regarding the impact of co-designing shared book reading environments with families in community settings. The current study is part of a broader project which used co-design to develop a shared book reading environment in collaboration with stakeholders in a community hub. This small-scale study aimed to provide a preliminary evaluation of the impact of this co-designed shared book reading environment at the community hub on (1) the frequency of shared book reading at the hub; (2) participants' confidence and enjoyment of reading with children at the hub; and (3) participants' experiences of shared book reading at the hub. The co-design project was carried out in four phases with families, staff and community partners at the community hub. A convergent mixed-methods approach was used to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data in the first and last phase of the project to evaluate project outcomes. Quantitative data (environmental observations of reading at the hub and participant ratings of confidence and enjoyment of reading with children at the hub) were analysed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistical tests. Qualitative data (participants' responses regarding their experiences of changes implemented in the community hub) were analysed using inductive content analysis. An increased frequency of shared book reading was observed within the community hub after changes were implemented, and positive changes in enjoyment of book reading were recorded. Qualitative responses from participants following conclusion of the project were organised into three main categories, which showed that (1) children and families were reading more and enjoying reading activities that were happening; (2) children and families were borrowing more books; and (3) families had changed the way they were reading at home with their children. A co-designed shared book reading environment within a community hub had a positive impact on shared book reading experiences for families in areas with high levels of vulnerability. What is already known on this subject Community hubs provide a unique opportunity to support early language and literacy development in partnership with families in areas of vulnerability; however, there is limited literature investigating the impacts of these supports. A previous study utilised co-design to develop a shared book reading environment with stakeholders at a community hub in an area where a high proportion of children are considered to be 'vulnerable' in terms of language and literacy development. It was found that co-design enabled the development of collaborative changes to support shared book reading that were valued and owned by families, staff and community partners at the community hub. What this study adds The current study focused on evaluating the impact of a co-design project on the frequency of shared book reading at the hub and participants' experiences, confidence and enjoyment of reading with children at the hub. Analysis of pre- and post-data provide preliminary evidence that a co-designed shared book reading environment in a community hub can have a positive impact on increasing families' awareness and engagement with book borrowing, engagement in shared book reading activities in the community and at home, and participants' confidence and enjoyment of reading with children. What are the clinical implications of this work? Speech pathologists have an important role to play in prevention and promotion. This study has shown that collaboration with families experiencing vulnerability can support the implementation of strategies to promote shared reading in a community hub and demonstrate increased quality and frequency of shared book reading. The utilisation of a community hub also highlights the opportunities for the speech pathology profession to deliver community-based promotion and prevention initiatives as a strategy to address equitable language outcomes.

Ebeveyn Destekli Etkileşimli Kitap Okuma Programının Okul Öncesi Çocuklarının Erken Okuryazarlık Becerilerine Etkisinin İncelenmesi

This research was carried out to separately examine the effect of the program prepared through interactive book reading activities applied to pre-school children and the effect of parent involvement on early literacy skills within the process. The research was conducted with a quasi-experimental design, one of the quantitative research methods, with a pre-test and post-test control group. In the study, a total of three groups were studied, two of which were the test groups and one was the control group. Interactive book reading activities were applied to test group 1 by their parents for eight weeks. On the other hand, interactive book reading activities were applied to test group 2 by the researcher. Of the sampling methods, convenience sampling and random sampling methods were utilized. A total of 53 children and 19 parents of test group 1 were involved in the study. The data collection tools used in the research were; Early Literacy Skills Assessment Tool (ELSAT) developed by Karaman (2013) and Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher. When the findings of the research were examined, it was determined that there were statistically significant differences between the post-test scores of Test Group 1 to which interactive book reading activities were applied by the parents and the post-test scores of Test Group 2 to which interactive book reading activities were applied by the researcher when compared to the post-test scores of the Control Group. It was also noted that there were significant differences between the post-test scores of ELSAT and its sub-dimensions in the dual measurements performed between Test Group 1 and Test Group 2. It was only observed that there were no statistically significant differences in the “Comprehending the Story” and “Pre-Writing Skills” sub-dimensions between Test Group 1 and Test Group 2.

THE EFFECTS OF INTERACTIVE BOOK READING ACTIVITIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Early childhood is one of the irreversible periods of life. Especially this period is the foundation of the learning future of the child. The first years of childhood are a period when cognitive, physical and language development is faster than other years. For this reason, it is very important to determine the achievements of interactive book reading activities to be done with children in the preschool period and to manage the process accordingly. The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of interactive storybook reading activities in and out of school on the developmental areas of children, according to the opinions of preschool teachers, preschool teacher candidates and parents. The study group of the research is affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Konya City Center in the 2020-2021 academic year; It consists of an independent kindergarten, 5 preschool teachers in this school, and 15 pre-school teacher candidates, a total of 20 people. Qualitative research method was used in this study.