Reading Personally Meaningful Books With Preschoolers: Do Personalized Features of Books Foster Children’s Word Knowledge?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 46
  In Roundtable Session: Vocabulary Learning Across the Spectrum

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of personalized reading on children’s word acquisition. Eighteen preschoolers were read a book with personalized and non-personalized parts; target words were embedded in each part. In a counterbalanced design, children’s knowledge of target words was tested using picture recognition and word definitions after the first reading, and before and after a second reading one week later. After the first reading, there was no difference in word knowledge between the personalized/non-personalized conditions. At the other two assessment times, there was significantly better picture recognition and definitions for the personalized condition. This suggests that personalized reading supports children’s acquisition and memory of new words over time and with repeated readings. Implications for practice are discussed.

Authors

• Natalia Kucirkova, The Open University

• David Messer, The Open University

• Kieron Sheehy, The Open University