Preschoolers' Word-Learning During Storybook Reading Interactions: Comparing Repeated and Elaborated Input

Abstract

Purpose Previous research shows that shared storybook reading interactions can function as effective speech and language interventions for young children, helping to improve a variety of skills-including word-learning. This study sought to investigate the potential benefits of elaboration of new words during a single storybook reading with preschoolers. Method Thirty-three typically developing children ages 35-37 months listened to a storybook containing novel words that were either repeated with a definition, repeated with no additional information, or only said once. Their receptive word-learning for these novel words was then evaluated via a preferential looking task. We analyzed children's correct looks to target pictures and compared looking behavior across the three levels of presentation. Results Results showed that preschoolers demonstrated successful receptive word-learning after a single storybook reading interaction with an adult when target words were repeated, either with or without elaboration. Within this context, elaboration was not required for preschoolers' receptive word-learning. Conclusions These results support the use of storybook reading with young children as a way to foster early receptive word-learning and highlight the importance of repeated exposure to novel material either with or without additional semantic information.

Figure 1.

Proportion of correct looks to target image, collapsed across the entire test trial postnaming, is displayed for each condition. A chance-level rate of looking behavior is represented with the dashed line at 0.5. Error bars represent standard error.

Figure 2.

For each condition, the looks to the target image during baseline (0–1,850 ms) and postnaming (1,850–3,700 ms) are plotted. The x-axis represents time since start of the trial for baseline and time since target word onset for postnaming target looks. Time windows where target looks in postnaming differed from baseline according to the cluster permutation analysis are indicated by shaded rectangles.