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Published on: January 23, 2017
Frequency, Form, and Function of Child Communication During Early Shared Book Reading Experiences
Michelle Catão1, Abigail Delehanty1, Ciera M Lorio2
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Summary
Shared book reading with young children, especially narrative books, boosts language development. Book complexity influences communication, with gestures often used to initiate joint attention during reading.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Early Literacy
- Communication Sciences
Background:
- Limited research exists on very young children's roles in shared book reading's impact on language and literacy.
- Shared book reading is a known factor in child developmental outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency, form, and function of communication in children aged 6 months to 3 years during shared book reading.
- To understand how child communication varies by age and book type.
Main Methods:
- An accelerated longitudinal study involving 52 typically developing children and their caregivers.
- Naturalistic shared book reading sessions with five book types were video-recorded (N=557).
- Child communicative acts were observed, quantified, and analyzed based on age and book type.
Main Results:
- Narrative and concept books correlated with longer reading times and more child communication.
- Book complexity was linked to child language complexity; narrative books elicited more word combinations.
- Over half of child communications involved deictic gestures, primarily for joint attention.
Conclusions:
- Findings illuminate mechanisms linking shared book reading to early childhood development.
- Shared reading fosters verbal and nonverbal communication, with varied book types offering diverse linguistic input.
- Results support expanding evidence-based literacy practices for young children.
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