Poster #162 - A parent-implemented book-sharing intervention to promote language and attention for infants and toddlers

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

Introduction: For young children, early language and literacy skills are critical to academic success (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Early Child Care Research Network, 2005) and shared book reading is a well-established vehicle for promoting these skills (Dunst, Simkus, & Hamby, 2012; Hutton et al., 2015; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). Although book sharing interventions are well-established for children preschool age and older, including those at-risk for academic failure due to language delays and low socio-economic status (Reese, Sparks, & Leyva, 2010), the majority of research has not included children younger than 2-years-old. Recent work by Cooper and colleagues (Murray et al., 2016; Vally, Murray, Tomlinson, & Cooper, 2015) with parents/young children in South Africa has yielded strong evidence for the utility of a book-sharing intervention for improving child language and related outcomes. We have adapted this intervention for families in the US with infants and toddlers age 14- to 18-months-old.

Participants: Parents and their children age 14-18 months (n=30; n=X female) who were carried full-term (> 36 weeks) were recruited for the study and randomly assigned to intervention (n=15) or wait list control (n=15) groups. The sample was community referred, without identified medical, neurological or genetic conditions. Children were primarily Caucasian (89%), and median maternal level of education was a college degree.

Methods: The intervention program was delivered in a weekly, small group format (4-5 parents and infants) over an 8-week period in a community setting. During each session, a facilitator introduced a new target skill (see Table 1) and led group discussion; parents then practiced the target skills and received 1:1 coaching with a facilitator. Assessments were completed pre- and post-intervention and at 2-month follow up during lab visits: language was obtained from parent report using the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI; Fenson et al., 2003); sustained attention was measured using the Early Childhood Vigilance Task (Goldman, Shapiro & Nelson, 2004). Feasibility/acceptability of the intervention was measured from parent report post-intervention.

Results: Compared to the control group (and controlling for baseline scores), infants in the intervention group demonstrated meaningful gains with moderate to large effects in gestures used and expressive vocabulary post-intervention (MCDI, partial η2=.12 and partial η2=.05, respectively). Increases in sustained attention were observed at post-intervention and also maintained at follow up (ECVT; partial η2=.12 and partial η2=.12 for post-intervention and 2 month follow up, respectively). Parents in the intervention group had significant increase in use of target book-sharing skills, which in turn was positively correlated with improvement in child attention (r=.50, p=.03). Parents rated the intervention as beneficial and helpful for their child (100%) and reported that they would recommend the experience to other families (100%).

Conclusion: Overall, data support preliminary feasibility of the intervention and replicate the work of Cooper and colleagues (2013) for families in the US. Results highlight the promise of a book-sharing intervention for enhancing early language and attention/cognitive skills, which are important predictors of school readiness and long-term academic success.

Authors

• Brenda Salley, University of Kansas Medical center
  Presenting Author

• Corinne Walker, University of Kansas
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jamie McGovern, University of Kansas Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Debora Daniels, University of Kansas Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author