Supporting Emergent Literacy Through the Use of the Read-Aloud Feature of Storybook Apps

• In Event: Supporting Young Children’s Literacy and Language Development

Abstract

The first five years of life are a critical time for language acquisition that sets a trajectory for the future and influences school success. Children from families of low income or whose parents speak a first language other than English often experience smaller vocabularies and reduced experiences in storybook reading, both of which are foundational to early reading and writing. Technology may offer new opportunities to intervene in the early language development of the most vulnerable children. This study investigated the use of the read aloud feature of storybook apps on the iPad paired with the dialogic questioning technique, as a way to increase children’s opportunities for book reading and discussion and raise their vocabulary levels prior to school entry.

Author

• Donna Copsey Haydey, University of Winnipeg