Is Shared Storybook Reading Evidence Based?

What is shared storybook reading? It is when an adult reads to children and stops to engage them in a discussion about the book. Many of us love storybooks and use them as a means of speech and language intervention. In this day and age of evidence-based practices, we may ask ourselves whether or not this intervention is evidence based. Interactive storybook reading has been shown to produce significant gains in oral language development. Several researchers in the field of reading and speech and language have explored this issue. 

BASIC COMPONENTS OF STORYBOOK READING

Storybook Preview

• increases expressive and receptive language in the context of literature
• content of the book is explored by using a picture walk---looking at and talking about the pictures
• builds vocabulary
• connections to real life

Read Aloud

• targets the development of print, vocabulary, and oral language
• children can choose their favorite page

Story Celebration

• follow up activities extend children’s learning
• activities should be motivating, relate to the meaning of the book, and have meaning to the children
• connecting the meaning of the book to children’s own experiences, as well as to new experiences

                            

SKILLS EMBEDDED IN LITERACY-BASED ACTIVITIES

Oral Language Development

• hearing sophisticated comments provide good language models
• use of open ended questions allow for multiple responses and connections to story content
• children learn to expand their explanations                                 

Comprehension Development

• questions asked before reading help children predict what they think the story will be about
• open-ended questions connect the reader to the text
• text to text questions during reading encourage children to think about and process the meaning of what is being read to them
• after-reading questions cause children to reflect on what they just heard

Vocabulary 

• words can be taught explicitly through pointing and labeling
• picture cards and prompts help students discuss their understanding
• saying the words helps establish a phonological representation
• child-friendly definitions can be provided
• definitions related to how the words are used in the story can be related to real world examples of how to use the words outside the story

Phonological Awareness

• attention can be drawn to rhyming words
• the last words of a sentence can be left off enabling the children to provide a rhyming word
• word syllables and words in a sentence can be “clapped”

Book and Print Conventions

• how to hold a book
• turning pages left to right
• identifying a title
• differentiating between words and pictures

Concept of Letter and Word

• tracking print from left to right 
• placing fingers under each word as it is read

Alphabet Knowledge

• targeting specific letters of the alphabet before, during or after shared storybook reading
• specific letters on a page can be identified

CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

A large number of children with developmental disabilities do not care for book reading activities. Since it is a language-based activity and the communication demands are high, those children with impaired speech and language may not find this an engaging activity. To increase interest, we need to create engaging activities to go along with the storybook readings. (Justice & Kaderavek, 2002). 

How can we increase the appeal of storybook reading to young children with developmental delays? 

• ensure that both the adult and the children interact with the book
• increase children’s level of control
• lift-the-flap books
• slot books
• predictable books
• select books with few words per page
• large print
• repeated use of words
• print embedded in the illustrations
• talk about print

Considerations when reading to children with developmental disabilities (Justice & Kaderavek, 2002).

• If the language demands of the story appear too difficult, modify the interaction to match the child’s interests and skills.
• Embedded print encourages children to engage with written language.
• Children add considerable knowledge about language from birth to age 6.

Specific practices and components have been associated with improved achievement from shared storybook reading.

Dialogic reading, (Whitehurst, Grover J., 1994) a method for shared storybook  reading, highlights a powerful approach to helping children talk more and give detailed descriptions. This happens by

• prompting children to say something about the book
• asking questions throughout the story
• expanding child utterances
• asking open-ended questions

THE BOTTOM LINE--IS THIS APPROACH EFFECTIVE?

Senechal (1997) studied the effects of repeated storybook readings to 3 and 4-year olds. She found that:

• increased exposure to storybook reading enhanced receptive and expressive vocabulary skills
• active responding during repeated readings increased expressive vocabulary more than receptive vocabulary
• children made more gains in vocabulary after three readings of a book than after a single reading
• children were able to extract clues from the text and the pictures
• inferred meaning increased
• asking labeling questions increased use of expressive vocabulary

Kathy

REFERENCES

Beauchat, K.A., Blamey, K.L., & Walpole, S., (2009) Building Preschool Children’s Language and Literacy One Storybook at a Time. The Reading Teacher, 63(2), pp. 26-39.

Howard, J., & McCathren, R.B., (2003), Developing Emergent Literacy Skills Through Storybook Reading, Intervention in School and Clinic, 39(2). pp. 72-79

Justice, L.M., & Kaderavek, J., (2002), Using Shared Storybook Reading to Promote Emergent Literacy, Teaching Exceptional Children, 34(4), pp. 8-13.

Senechal, M., (1997),The Differential Effect of Storybook Reading on Preschoolers’ Acquisition of Expressive and Receptive Language; Journal of Child Language, 24, pp. 123-138.

Whitehurst, Grover J., Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read to Preschoolers; http://www.readingrockets.org/article/400/

Whitehurst, Grover J., Arnold, David S., Epstein, Jeffery N., Angell, Andrea L., Smith, Meagan; & Fischel, Janet E., (1994) A picture book reading intervention in day care and home for children from low-income families; Developmental Psychology, Vol 30(5), pp. 679-68.

Writing Observations in Early Childhood Settings

Many of us who work in early childhood do observations and collect information on what we see children doing during their school time or in their homes. It is crucial that we make objective observations.  An objective observation is an observation made with no prior bias, based solely on fact. Personal opinions are not a part of a true objective observation. Analyzing information from fact based date allows us to accurately assess children’s levels of performance, track their progress, and plan appropriate activities to assure that they are acquiring the skills they need to be successful learners when they enter school-age programs.

Writing objective observations is easier said than done and it takes practice. Here are some guidelines and tips about the do’s and don’ts of writing observational notes.

INCLUDE:

•     Description of actions

"Matthew rode a trike across the school yard. He used both feet to peddle it."  

•     Quotations

"While playing in the house area, Shawna asked her friend, ‘Do you want me to pour some milk for your baby?’"

•     Description of gestures

"Grant walked to the kitchen, patted the refrigerator door, and looked toward his mother. When she did not respond, he said ‘Mama’."

•     Description of facial expression

"During snack time, when Jayden took a drink of lemonade from his cup, he squinted his eyes and puckered his mouth."

•     Description of creations

"Saige used markers and crayons to draw circles and squares on a large sheet of paper. After she put dots of glue on the paper in the middle of the shapes, she placed green pompoms on each glue dot." 

AVOID:

•     Labels 

"Jordan hid her face and stayed behind her mother when she came into the classroom. rather than "Jordan was shy when she came into the classroom."    

 "When she arrived at school Mia went to the quiet area and sat criss-cross applesauce with her back to the class." rather than "Mia was in a bad mood this morning when she got to school."  

 "Stanley used both wooden and colored plastic blocks to build a bridge in the block area." rather than "Stanley is very creative when he is in the block area."

•     Intentions

"Carter took a truck from a friend who was playing beside him." rather than  "Carter grabbed the truck from another child because he always wants all the trucks for himself."    

  "Olivia joined other girls in the book area and looked at a pop-up book." rather than "Olivia went to the book area because she wanted to be with the girls." 

•     Evaluations  

 "At snack time Daniel was the snack helper and gave a napkin to each one of the other children at  his table." rather than "Daniel did a really good job handing out the napkins at snack time."    

 "At snack time Isaac said to the teacher ‘Me want more cookie.’"  rather than  "Isaac talked baby talk at snack time."

•     Judgement

"Bree spilled some of her juice while pouring it into her cup." rather than  "Bree was very sloppy at lunch time today."

 "At clean up time Todd put all the blocks on the shelf on top of the matching picture labels." rather than "Todd always put the toys back on the shelf neatly." 

•     Negatives

"When she put her shoes on, Lauren began to cross the laces as she tried to start tying her shoes."  rather than  "Lauren can’t tie her shoes yet."

 "At the end of recess Cassidy held the teacher’s hand to go to line up with the other kids when they were ready to go inside." rather than "Cassidy wouldn’t line up with the other students when it was time to come in from recess."

REMEMBER:

•     Stay neutral
•     Avoid favoritism
•     Don’t make assumptions
•     Focus on the skill that the child is developing and what it looks like

Kathy