Young Children's Reading Research Articles

One Day, One Story: Cultivating a Love of Reading from an Early Age

This research aims to examine the importance of an interest in reading from an early age in the hope of forming the nation's next generation with high quality and broad insight. A high interest in reading from an early age is an important foundation in forming a child's character and intellect. By reading, children can broaden their horizons and improve their qualities which will be beneficial for their future. One of the methods applied to foster interest in reading in young children is the "One Day One Story" activity, which is held every Monday to Friday. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach with research subjects of early childhood aged 4-6 years. The data collection techniques used include observation, interviews and documentation to get an in-depth picture of the application and influence of the "One Day One Story" activity on children's interest in reading. The research results show that the implementation of the "One Day One Story" activity is effective in fostering interest in reading in young children. This can be seen from the children's enthusiasm in looking for story books and opening various book pages. Children become more interested in reading and exploring the stories provided. It is hoped that these results can make a contribution by showing that the "One Day One Story" activity can be an effective strategy for increasing interest in reading in young children.

A comparative study on the effects of e-picture books and printed books on story comprehension and reading motivation among Chinese preschoolers

With the development of multimedia technology, the electronic reading method has greatly increased the enthusiasm for reading among initially less motivated children. This form of reading exhibits considerable potential, underscoring the necessity of determining the impact of employing such novel software on the emergent reading of young children in China. The aim of this research investigation is to contrast the influences of electronic books and printed book reading on story comprehension and reading motivation in Chinese five-year-olds. Preschoolers participating in this study were randomly selected from three different classrooms in a public kindergarten in Chongqing, China. These participants were again assigned to electronic and printed book reading groups according to their pretest scores. During the four-week reading intervention period, each preschooler read a picture book once a week, for a total of two books. The results indicate that the incorporation of screen-based reading for preschoolers holds promise in reducing reading fatigue and fostering interest in reading. In addition, there was a notable disparity in story comprehension levels, even though varying reading mediums were used in the two groups.

북버디(Book-Buddy)를 통한 그림책 읽기 활동이 유아의 또래 상호작용 및 읽기 흥미에 미치는 영향

Objectives The study aims to examine how book buddy activities affect the peer interactions and interest in reading of young children.
 Methods A total of 90 young children were selected from a preschool in the city of ‘G’, including 3-yearolds(n=40) in two classes of 20 each and 5-year-olds(n=50) in two classes of 25 each. For each age group, one class was designated as an experimental group that would take part in book buddy activities, while the other class served as a comparison group, taking part in reading activities alone.
 Results The major findings of the study were as follows. First, statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison groups in terms of peer interactions, with the experimental groups for both 3-year-olds and 5-year-olds showing improvement in their overall peer interactions. Second, statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison groups in terms of interest in reading, with the experimental groups for both 3-year-olds and 5-year-olds showing improved overall interest in reading.
 Conclusions The study results suggest that book buddy activities are an effective teaching-learning method for increasing the peer interactions and interest in reading of young children.

A research on independent reading of young children in the transition links of kindergarten

A research on independent reading of young children in the transition links of kindergarten

Direct effects of visual skills and working memory on Chinese character reading in young children

AbstractThe present study aimed to examine how visual skills, verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, and other general cognitive skills (inhibitory control, attention, and decision speed) were simultaneously correlated with the early acquisition of reading among kindergarten children. A total of 99 Chinese children were tested individually on the Chinese character recognition task, the block design task, the digit span task, the visuospatial sketchpad task, the continuous performance task (CPT), the flanker task, and the choice reaction time task. The results showed that visual skills and working memory accounted for 15% of the unique variance in character reading, whereas other general cognitive skills, including decision speed, inhibitory control and attention, did not significantly explain the variance in character reading when visual skills and working memory were considered. Specifically, verbal working memory, rather than visuospatial working memory, explained the unique variance in children's learning of character reading. These findings highlighted that visual skills and verbal working memory were among the most important precursors of reading in children at the beginning stage of learning Chinese characters.

Judith T Lysaker, Before words: wordless picture books and the development of reading in young children

Judith T Lysaker, <i>Before words: wordless picture books and the development of reading in young children</i>

Visuospatial memory uniquely predicts Chinese reading comprehension in Hong Kong typically developing kindergarteners

This study investigated the direct and indirect roles of verbal and visuospatial memory in Chinese reading comprehension. One hundred twenty-eight Cantonese-speaking children participated in the study at the end of their 3rd year of kindergarten in Hong Kong. Both verbal and visuospatial memory were found to be significantly associated with Chinese reading comprehension. Path analysis showed that visuospatial memory was significantly associated with reading comprehension through word reading. Verbal memory was associated with reading comprehension indirectly through listening comprehension. Additionally, the direct path from visuospatial memory to reading comprehension was significant when word reading and listening comprehension were considered simultaneously. The findings of the direct and unique role of visuospatial memory in reading comprehension in Chinese elaborated and extended our understanding of the simple view of reading in young children in a non-alphabetic language.

Sources of individual differences in young Chinese children's reading and mathematics skill: A longitudinal study

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between four key elements of school readiness—receptive vocabulary, socioemotional behavior, behavioral self-regulation, and approaches to learning—and individual differences in young children's reading and mathematics trajectories. Chinese children (N = 588) were tested three times between the ages of five and six on their Chinese reading and mathematics skills, and their receptive vocabulary, problem behavior, behavioral self-regulation, and approaches to learning (competence motivation, learning strategy, and attention/persistence) were assessed at five years of age. Latent growth modeling revealed that receptive vocabulary and behavioral self-regulation played unique roles in predicting the levels of Chinese reading (vocabulary: β = 0.15, p = .023; self-regulation: β = 0.16, p = .001) and mathematics skills (vocabulary: β = 0.25, p < .001; self-regulation: β = 0.36, p < .001). Problem behavior and competence motivation were associated with the levels of mathematics skills (problem behavior: β = −0.06, p = .046; competence motivation: β = 0.16, p < .001) but not those of reading skills. Moreover, competence motivation predicted the growth rate of Chinese reading skills (β = 0.18, p = .015). The findings extend the current literature by explicating the independent contributions made by early school readiness skills to individual differences in young Chinese children's acquisition of reading and mathematics skills.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Home Literacy Environment and Shared Book Reading in Young Children With Hearing Loss.

The principle goal of this longitudinal study was to examine parent perceptions of home literacy environment (e.g., frequency of book reading, ease of book reading with child) and observed behaviors during shared book reading (SBR) interactions between parents and their children with hearing loss (HL) as compared with parents and their children with normal hearing (NH) across 3 time points (12, 24, and 36 months old). Relationships were also explored among home literacy environment factors and SBR behaviors and later language outcomes, across all three time points for parents of children with and without HL. Participants were a group of parents and their children with HL (N = 17) and typically developing children with NH (N = 34). Parent perceptions about the home literacy environment were captured through a questionnaire. Observed parent behaviors and their use of facilitative language techniques were coded during videotaped SBR interactions. Children's oral language skills were assessed using a standardized language measure at each time point. No significant differences emerged between groups of parents (HL and NH) in terms of perceived home literacy environment at 12 and 36 months. However, significant group differences were evident for parent perceived ease of reading to their child at 24 months. Group differences also emerged for parental SBR behaviors for literacy strategies and interactive reading at 12 months and for engagement and interactive reading at 36 months, with parents of children with HL scoring lower in all factors. No significant relationships emerged between early home literacy factors and SBR behaviors at 12 months and oral language skills at 36 months for parents of children with NH. However, significant positive relationships were evident between early home literacy environment factors at 12 months and oral language skills at 36 months for parents and their children with HL. Although both groups of parents increased their frequency of SBR behaviors over time, parents of children with HL may need additional support to optimize SBR experiences to better guide their toddlers' and preschoolers' language skills. Early intervention efforts that focus on SBR interactions that are mutually enjoyed and incorporate specific ways to encourage parent-child conversations will be essential as children with HL acquire language.

Learning vocabulary through e-book reading of young children with various reading abilities

Previous studies revealed that young children learn novel word meanings by simply reading and listening to a printed book. In today’s classroom, many children’s e-books provide audio narration support so young readers can simply listen to the e-books. The focus of the present study is to examine the effect of e-book reading with audio narration support on the novel vocabulary learning of first grade students with advanced, average, and poor reading abilities. The effect of adding teacher’s word explanation on novel word learning was also examined. By employing a within-subject design, students read an e-book that contained ten explained words and another e-book containing ten unexplained words. Their performances were compared to ten unexposed control words. As a whole group, results indicated that teacher’s word explanation resulted in greater word learning compared to when word explanation was not provided. However, e-book reading conditions without teacher’s word explanation did not lead to incidental word learning from the e-book context compared to the unexposed control words. When the students were divided into subgroups based on their reading abilities, readers with higher reading abilities learned more word meanings from e-book with teacher’s word explanation. However, three subgroups of readers showed different patterns of word learning across the e-book with and without word explanation and the control conditions. Educational implications of using e-books for students with different reading abilities and limitations are discussed.

The influence of access to eReaders, computers and mobile phones on children's book reading frequency

Regular recreational book reading is a practice that confers substantial educative benefit. However, not all book types may be equally beneficial, with paper book reading more strongly associated with literacy benefit than screen-based reading at this stage, and a paucity of research in this area. While children in developed countries are gaining ever-increasing levels of access to devices at home, relatively little is known about the influence of access to devices with eReading capability, such as Kindles, iPads, computers and mobile phones, on young children's reading behaviours, and the extent to which these devices are used for reading purposes when access is available. Young people are gaining increasing access to devices through school-promoted programs; parents face aggressive marketing to stay abreast of educational technologies at home; and schools and libraries are increasingly their eBook collections, often at the expense of paper book collections. Data from the 997 children who participated in the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading were analysed to determine children's level of access to devices with eReading capability, and their frequency of use of these devices in relation to their recreational book reading frequency. Respondents were found to generally underutilise devices for reading purposes, even when they were daily book readers. In addition, access to mobile phones was associated with reading infrequency. It was also found that reading frequency was less when children had access to a greater range of these devices.

헬렌켈러, 설리번 초청 부모교육 Talk show - 유아의 읽기와 쓰기에 대하여

헬렌켈러, 설리번 초청 부모교육 Talk show - 유아의 읽기와 쓰기에 대하여

Ten Steps to Conducting a Large, Multi-Site, Longitudinal Investigation of Language and Reading in Young Children.

Purpose: This paper describes methodological procedures involving execution of a large-scale, multi-site longitudinal study of language and reading comprehension in young children. Researchers in the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC) developed and implemented these procedures to ensure data integrity across multiple sites, schools, and grades. Specifically, major features of our approach, as well as lessons learned, are summarized in 10 steps essential for successful completion of a large-scale longitudinal investigation in early grades.Method: Over 5 years, children in preschool through third grade were administered a battery of 35 higher- and lower-level language, listening, and reading comprehension measures (RCM). Data were collected from children, their teachers, and their parents/guardians at four sites across the United States. Substantial and rigorous effort was aimed toward maintaining consistency in processes and data management across sites for children, assessors, and staff.Conclusion: With appropriate planning, flexibility, and communication strategies in place, LARRC developed and executed a successful multi-site longitudinal research study that will meet its goal of investigating the contribution and role of language skills in the development of children's listening and reading comprehension. Through dissemination of our design strategies and lessons learned, research teams embarking on similar endeavors can be better equipped to anticipate the challenges.

Operating Classroom Aesthetic Reading Environment to Raise Children's Reading Motivation

This research aims to explore how preschool educators understand about raising children's reading motivation through operating classroom aesthetic reading environment. With one year qualitative research, sixteen 4-6 years old young were observed and interviewed. The first stage interviews were undergone with environmental guidance. After the physical class reading environment was adjusted into aesthetic perspective, children's reading motivation and attitudes were triggered. The second stage involved themed reading activities, including the child-centered extended reading activities, arranging parent-child and peers shared reading time, designing borrowing books home activities, promoting peers and parent-child shared reading, and classroom hot-popular reading books selection ballot. Data collection methods included observation, interviews, children's relative documents, drawings, and hands-on works. Based on analysis of research data, main results were extracted as below: young children's reading motivation including interest, perceived control, collaboration, involvement, and efficacy were promoted through classroom aesthetic reading environment and parent-child shared reading promotion activities. Finally, according to conclusion of this research, suggestions for relative teaching application and subsequent research were proposed as reference.

It invites Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan to a talk show -about young children reading and writing

It invites Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan to a talk show -about young children reading and writing

팝업책과 일반평면책에 대한 유아의 읽기 반응 비교

이 연구는 팝업책과 일반 평면그림책에 대한 만 5세 유아들의 읽기 양상을 비교함으로써 그림책 제작방식에 따라 유아의 읽기시간, 흥미, 반응, 이해, 회상에 차이가 있는지 살펴보았다. 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 유아들은 팝업책과 일반평면책에 대해 모두 높은 수준의, 유사한 정도의 흥미를 보였다. 둘째, 팝업책을 읽은 유아들은 일반평면책을 읽은 유아들에 비해 자발적으로 책을 더 오랫동안 보았고, 그림에 초점을 두는 반응 수준이 더 높았다. 셋째, 일반평면책을 읽은 유아들은 팝업책을 읽은 유아들에 비해 사실적 이해와 회상에서 더 높은 수준을 보였다. 이 연구는 만 5세 유아의 독립적 그림책 읽기에 초점을 맞추어 실제적인 정보를 제공한 점과 두 유형의 책을 읽은 유아들의 읽기 반응을 여러 측면에서 비교하여 팝업책의 특징과 관련된 구체적인 시사점을 도출하였다는 의의를 갖는다. This study examined the differences in young children's reading results to two types of picture books, focusing on the features of pop-up books. Children's reading time, interests, responsiveness, comprehension, and recall were compared for pop-up books and regular books with the same story. The results of this study were as follows. First, young children showed similarly high interests in both versions. Second, children from the pop-up books group read for a longer time, and showed a higher responsiveness level in focusing on the illustrations than their counterparts. Third, children who read regular books displayed better comprehension and recall than children who read pop-up books.

Planting Aesthetics Seeds within the Journey of Children's Reading

For the impact of parent-child reading picture books have on the child's learning process has been recommended at the elementary level as the appropriate strategies to bridge preschool and family education. The purpose of the study is firstly, to investigate the key virtues of the implementation in children's reading in preschool and at home; secondly, in terms of the challenges encountered to propose appropriately efficient solutions; thirdly, to enforce teachers' self-fulfillment and confidence in promoting young children's reading. Qualitative data were collected through observations, interviews, recording of anecdotes, adults' feedback sharing, and reflective journals from four projects, including advocating parent-child reading, inspiring young children's motivations to read, enhancing young children's interactions with picture books, and reading is funny. Data analysis included the sound and video records from teaching process, book list for learners, parents' sharing, teachers' sharing, researchers introspection daily, interviewing kids. According to these qualitative data, researchers adopted triangulation strategy to encode the data collected on the scene one by one. The results revealed four elements contributing in successful reading-extension activity, including environmental settings, appropriately developed activities during parent-child reading, the educators' scaffolding, and the educators' fulfillment in growth and self-professionalism. A last, the practical suggestions and possible directions for young children reading were proposed for the institute, preschool, educators and parents of early childhood education.

Uncovering strategy profiles in young children's reading & spelling

Young children are taught to read and spell using a range of different approaches to encourage them to form connections between spoken sound and written text, but past studies have often looked at reading and spelling strategies in isolation. In this study, the performance of 48 young children in Years 1 and 2 was assessed on experimental measures of reading and spelling to encourage the use of different strategies. Strategies were identified by video analysis and verbal self-reports. The findings revealed a strong reliance on multiple strategies as well as similar patterns of development in children's strategy choice for reading and spelling. Two separate cluster analyses revealed separate profiles, based on similar patterns of strategy use for both reading and spelling strategies, respectively and while reading and spelling profiles were strongly related, suggesting a close connection between these two sets of skills, only the spelling profiles were influenced by age.

An Unsure Start for Young Children in English Urban Primary Schools

This article, written by three research-active teachers and their academic partner, registers concerns with the ways the so-called ‘achievement gap’ is portrayed in policy announcements in England. It charts a challenge to the current view that it is the task of urban nursery and primary schools to train children to be school-ready. It portrays a collective professional judgement that some young children from less affluent backgrounds face a range of barriers to their learning on entry, which hampers their success at primary school. Further, it argues these barriers arise from children’s multiple vulnerabilities which cannot be encapsulated by a single category of need such as eligibility for Free School Meals or a Special Educational Need represented in official national-school quantitative data. This article proceeds to report on three inter-linked teacher inquiry projects, which seek to define and identify the range of vulnerabilities faced by some young children and consider intervention measures that will address their academic and social learning needs. The intention is to show that a more refined view of identifying these needs based on a research-informed reading of young children’s multiple vulnerabilities, framed by their social context, will lead to more equitable provision of primary schooling experiences.

Twenty-Five Years and Counting of Sweet Valley: Jessica and Elizabeth in Romance Novels for Young Children?

With the 2008 reissue of Francine Pascal's (1983) Sweet Valley High, the popular cultural icons of twins Jessica and Elizabeth have been revitalized. Jessica and Elizabeth are the much-beloved protagonists in romance novels strategically targeted for young adults in Sweet Valley High or Sweet Valley U, and for first- and second-grade readers in the Sweet Valley Kids series. Young children reading romance novels? Analysis shows that these books are a part of the same marketing formula used for adult romance novels.