Accelerating language development through picture book reading: Replication and extension to a videotape training format.

TLDR

Dialogic reading, an interactive picture‑book technique taught to mothers, has been shown to improve preschool language development but is limited by the high cost of one‑on‑one training. The study sought to replicate and extend prior findings by creating and testing a low‑cost videotape training package for dialogic reading. Mothers were randomly assigned to a no‑training control, a traditional direct‑training group, or a videotape‑training group to evaluate the new training format.

Abstract

G. J. Whitehurst et al. (1988) taught mothers specific interactive techniques to use when reading picture books with their preschool-age children. This intervention program, called dialogic reading, produced substantial effects on preschool children's language development. However, the costs of one-on-one training limit the widespread use of dialogic reading techniques. In this study the authors aimed to replicate and extend the results of the original study of dialogic reading by developing and evaluating an inexpensive videotape training package for teaching dialogic reading techniques. Mothers were randomly assigned to receive no training, traditional direct training, or videotape training