This study examined the effects of a classroom-focused intervention on early literacy. The intervention consisted of interactive e-book reading via a SMART board combined with a print referencing...Show moreThis study examined the effects of a classroom-focused intervention on early literacy. The intervention consisted of interactive e-book reading via a SMART board combined with a print referencing technique via a program called e-Prent&ABC. The goal of the study was to examine whether focusing on print referencing during storytelling improves the book-bound vocabulary and printing knowledge of kindergarteners and to examine whether this relationship between storytelling and acquiring knowledge is different for children with a relatively low inhibition capacity compared to children with a relatively high inhibition capacity. Results indicated significantly larger gains with high effect sizes in book bound vocabulary (ηp2 = .614) and printing knowledge (ηp2 = .433) after participating in the intervention. The print referencing technique was found to be significantly effective with a high effect size for growth in printing knowledge (ηp2 = .450). The growth in vocabulary was not attributable to the print referencing technique, however this technique did not hinder children’s learning of new words. No significant differences were found after participating in the intervention for children with a relatively low inhibition capacity when compared to children with a relatively high inhibition capacity. The findings indicated that shared e-book reading combined with a print referencing technique is an effective method for stimulating and enhancing early literacy skills of kindergarteners such as printing knowledge and vocabulary.Show less
Shared book reading is an effective way to support kindergartener’s word learning. Because not every child benefits equally from reading time, effective vocabulary instruction methods 4-Cycle-model...Show moreShared book reading is an effective way to support kindergartener’s word learning. Because not every child benefits equally from reading time, effective vocabulary instruction methods 4-Cycle-model and print-referencing are combined with interactive reading of e-books in e-Prent&ABC, and used as an intervention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of e-Prent&ABC on word acquisition in kindergarten, and to profile the slower classroom word learners with child characteristics like executive functions, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and engagement, to make recommendations for effective shared book reading. Because it was hypothesized that (active) engagement would differ during reading, the effects of active and regular engagement on word acquisition were investigated. In a repeated mixed measured design, four- and five-year-old slower (N = 40) and faster word learners (N = 41) were read three e-storybooks with or without teacher-class interaction and consolidation targeted on the semantic or semantic and phonological aspects of words. Book vocabulary and observed active engagement was higher during interactive reading time in comparison to reading without interaction for all children, and word learning was more effective when words where consolidated on the semantic aspect without paying attention to the phonological aspect. It was hypothesized that phonological consolidation did not target the meaning of words, and therefore increased the cognitive load. Furthermore, slow word learners benefited more from interactive reading than fast learners. Word learning in this group was predicted by active engagement. Fast learners generally had a better developed vocabulary and phonological awareness, but these child characteristics could not explain the differences of book vocabulary between the groups, merely executive functions and engagement predicted word learning. The results confirm previous research with e-Prent&ABC (Van Dijken, 2019) and indicate that all kindergarteners, especially the slow word learners, benefit from interactive e-book reading with visual animations, semantic instruction and print-referencing.Show less
The development of vocabulary in primary school is of high importance. A foundation for toddlers’ school career can be laid by teaching new words in an efficient way. By doing so, all toddlers can...Show moreThe development of vocabulary in primary school is of high importance. A foundation for toddlers’ school career can be laid by teaching new words in an efficient way. By doing so, all toddlers can proceed school with the same level of reading and writing. Reading storybooks aloud in an interactive way is crucial when stimulating vocabulary development. Within the reading intervention program, e-Prent&ABC, the interactive reading of animated storybooks with a smartboard is combined with the 4-cycle word development model to learn new words in an effective way. A previous study stated that e-Prent&ABC has a positive effect on the vocabulary and language development of toddlers. This positive effect did not occur for toddlers who show inattentive-withdrawn or disruptive behavior. In the current study, e-Prent&ABC is extended to e-Prent&ABC+ by adding behavior regulating elements. Within e-Prent&ABC+, specific attention is paid to toddlers with problematic behavior. The purpose of the current study is to assess whether the learning behavior and vocabulary of toddlers with problematic behavior can be improved by e-Prent&ABC+, compared with e-Prent&ABC and the control condition (electronic Living Books). The influence of working memory on learning behavior and vocabulary is also examined. A total of 60 toddlers participated in this study, in which 30 toddlers showed inattentive-withdrawn or disruptive behavior, followed by 30 control children. Nine classes from three primary schools in Leiden completed three intervention weeks. The results of the current study showed that e-Prent&ABC is effective in increasing the vocabulary of toddlers. However, the behavior regulating elements of e-Prent&ABC+ were found to be ineffective. In future research, it is important to replicate e-Prent&ABC+ with a larger and more reliable sample. Due to its effectiveness within education, it is recommended to add the 4-cycle model and animated storybooks to current reading methods.Show less
This research examines the joint effect of interactive reading through the didactic vocabulary model Viertakt and electronic storybooks on vocabulary development. In addition, possibilities for...Show moreThis research examines the joint effect of interactive reading through the didactic vocabulary model Viertakt and electronic storybooks on vocabulary development. In addition, possibilities for differentiation in word learning education are investigated. The goal of this research was to maximize word development of preschool children and to reduce differences in vocabulary. The study involved 52 Dutch preschool children (50% girl, 50% boy) aged 48-71 months and consisted of a classroom reading intervention and an individual differentiation reading intervention. The participants were divided into four subgroups. Throughout the classroom reading intervention, a within-subject design exposed all participants to the following four conditions: without Viertakt, with Viertakt and phonological consolidation, with Viertakt and phonological and semantic consolidation, and the control condition. The individual differentiation reading intervention consisted of a between-subjects design. Half of the participants who benefited the least from the classroom reading intervention, were assigned to two conditions: differentiation whilst actively answering questions and differentiation without answering questions. The findings indicated that preschool children achieve a significantly bigger vocabulary from the classroom reading intervention with Viertakt compared to the classroom reading without Viertakt. Their vocabulary grew equally in both forms of consolidation. The preschool children possessed a bigger vocabulary after the individual differentiation reading intervention, however it is not certain whether the growth in vocabulary was due to the differentiation or also as a result of consolidation over time. Actively questioning helped the preschool children to improve their vocabulary. Altogether, the classroom reading intervention leads to a greater vocabulary and the individual differentiation reading intervention diminishes the pre-existing differences between children. Further research, including a control group for the differentiation, is needed to investigate the effect of the differentiation on vocabulary development.Show less
