A Fine-Grained Look at a Coarse-Grained Problem: Effects of Inferential Discussion on Preschoolers’ Thinking

• In Event: The Powerful Role of Adaptive Expertise in Scaffolding Story Comprehension Skills in Young Children

Abstract

Theoretical Framework
Reading aloud is a popular, beloved, and oft-researched educational context for nurturing preschoolers’ language and literacy development (Wasik et al., 2016). Approaches for sharing and discussing books are important to text comprehension; however, knowledge about the content of talk that fosters inferential thinking is still emerging (Walsh & Hodge, 2018) despite more than a decade of inquiry. We know that inferential thinking is critical to reading comprehension beyond contributions of oral language, word recognition, and IQ (Lepola et al., 2016; Oakhill & Cain, 2012), that preschoolers draw inferences and make causal connections in narratives (Kendeou et al. 2009; van Kleeck, 2008), and that the quality of teachers’ talk about stories is related to children’s comprehension (Author; Lepola et al., 2022). Despite studies showing that children’s responses can match the cognitive demand of teachers’ prompts (Mascareño et al., 2017), teachers engage in more literal than inferential talk (Deshmukh et al., 2019; Sun et al., 2020). Micro-analytic research that employs inferential, utterance-level talk can inform pedagogy.

Objectives
This study examines the efficacy of a longitudinal storybook reading intervention with focused support for inferential thinking on preschoolers’ inferential story comprehension. It explores the impact of age/years of participation on inferential story comprehension to identify strategies to help teachers support inferential thinking prior to formal schooling.

Data Sources
This project analyzes data from a longitudinal experimental study designed to test the effectiveness of a storybook reading intervention on children’s inferential story comprehension.

Methods
Participants (N=140) were Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers (Mage = 5 years, 4 months; 53% female) from 12 state-funded PreK classrooms in an urban city in the midwestern US.

Following Spanish and English language pretests, children were randomly assigned to treatment (M1) or control (M2) groups. RA’s read one pair of picture books to small groups (3-4 children) approximately once per week for three weeks. Books were unfamiliar and paired based on similarity in plot, length, and illustration style. Three pairs of books were read in year 1; four pairs were read in year 2. In M1, RA’s read stories and used scripted guidance to discuss one book in each pair using low-demand (literal) discussion prompts and the second book using high-demand (inferential) prompts. In M2, RA’s read stories and played with Legos with children after the readings.

After the third reading and discussion, children took story comprehension tests consisting of five literal queries and five inferential queries for each book. Questions differed from discussion prompts. Scores on literal and inferential questions were analyzed. Results on inferential questions are reported here.

Results
Regression indicated a significant effect of treatment (participation in inferential discussion) on children’s inferential story comprehension (B= .07, see Table 1) with benefits of inferential discussion increasing with age (B = .04, see Figure 2).

Significance
Findings illuminate the importance of utterance-level inferential talk to children’s thinking and the promise of educational experiences for teachers that include language guidance for modeling and eliciting inferential thinking. Moderating variables and implications for preschool instruction will be discussed.

Author

• Molly F. Collins, Vanderbilt University