Use of a Scripted Dialogic Book Reading Intervention to Increase Preschool Children's Emotion Vocabulary Knowledge

• In Event: 44.085 - Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: 44.085-8 - Early Education and Child Development SIG Poster Session

Abstract

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a strong predictor of children’s readiness for school and their early academic success. One aspect of early SEL is emotion knowledge, which includes knowledge of emotion vocabulary and physical cues that typify emotions. This study examines the effectiveness of a dialogic book reading intervention to increase children’s emotion vocabulary and ability to identify emotion signals. 44 preschool children were exposed to 3 repeated, scripted readings of 5 books, each focused on one specific emotion. Scripts were dialogic, engaging children in response and demonstration. From pre- to post-intervention, children’s scores increased on basic emotion word and synonym identification and ability to identify physical cues signifying specific emotions. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Authors

• Elizabeth Diane Kenney, University of Florida

• Kristen Mary Kemple, University of Florida

• Raquel F Concepcion, University of Florida

• Tina Smith-Bonahue, University of Florida

• Joni Marie McReynolds, University of Florida

• Katherine E Matthews, University of Florida