Vocabulary in dialogic reading: implications for AAC

Shared reading is an important context for the development of communication, language, and literacy skills in young children. Research conducted with children who require augmentative and alternative communication has indicated that dialogic reading techniques utilized in shared reading can aid in the development of communication skills. One area that has not been investigated is which words children should have access to when engaging in these types of activities. This study reports the results of an investigation focused on the words 5-year-old children without disabilities said during a dialogic reading procedure that occurred with two books, Corduroy and Whistle for Willie. When reading Corduroy and Whistle for Willie, 59 common words said when reading each book accounted for 62.45% and 64.83% of the total words said, respectively. Many of these words were similar to those identified in studies of core vocabulary across a variety of contexts. For Corduroy and Whistle for Willie, 13 and 11 of these 59 words were directly related to the book, respectively. This accounted for approximately 10% of the most commonly used words for each book. The implications of this finding are discussed relative to vocabulary selection for children with complex communication needs during shared reading experiences.