Poster #41 - Predictors of Child-Caregiver Enjoyment of Commonly Read Picture Books

• In Event: Poster Session 19

Abstract

Early shared reading experiences promote general cognitive development, language development preliteracy skills, and social skills in children. Studies have attempted to quantify the kinds of language and illustrations children are exposed to in the books being read to them in the most read picturebooks to better understand the benefits. (e.g., Greenhoot, Beyer, & Curtis, 2016; Hudson Kam & Matthewson, 2017; Wagner, 2017). This study sought to generate a list of most read picture books while extending our knowledge of what characteristics of caregivers, children, the books themselves contribute to enjoyment of caregiver-child shared reading. Building upon the questionnaires of previous studies, a survey was created asking caregivers of 0- to 3-year-olds about their shared book reading experiences with their children. Modelled after Hudson Kam and Matthewson’s (2017), caregivers were asked demographic questions and to give up to 5 titles they were reading with follow-up questions about reading frequency, style, and environment. Most importantly, enjoyment ratings for each title were provided for each caregiver and child. Participants were recruited through Prolific and were native speakers of English with a child between aged 0-3 years to whom they read. This resulted in 211 survey responses. Across this sample, caregivers reported 377 unique and identifiable book titles. Ten titles were reported by 12 or more caregivers. “The Gruffalo” was the most popular title (n=46). Average Enjoyment scores were generated for infants and their caregivers by calculating the mean of the enjoyment ratings given for each title. Similar calculations were made for reading frequency, reading style, and how often the target child is read to alone. Children’s average enjoyment was positively correlated with their age and expressive vocabulary. Average enjoyment for children assigned female at birth was significantly higher than those assigned male at birth. Caregiver enjoyment was negatively correlated with the elaborateness of their reading style. In alignment with Fletcher and Reese’s framework for assessing reading interaction quality (2005), child variables, caregiver variables, and reading environment variables were included in structural equations, separately modeling child and caregiver enjoyment. The child enjoyment model, even after revision, identified the same significant predictors as a preliminary regression analysis. As such, child age, caregiver enjoyment, and reading frequency were significant factors positively influencing child enjoyment. In contrast, the full caregiver model provided significant direct and indirect effects of child, caregiver, and reading environment factors. Child enjoyment, the caregiver’s reading style, and the presence of additional children in the reading environment all directly predicted caregiver enjoyment. Child age, child expressive vocabulary, child’s assigned sex, and reading frequency were all indirect predictors of caregiver reading enjoyment.Taken together, the factors influencing enjoyment of shared reading reflect the roles of each party. Caregivers, as the reader, take on a more active and intentioned role, thus their enjoyment is related to the demands of the reading environment more so than the listening child. Child enjoyment of reading is more influenced by where they are in their development.

Author

• Laura Mills-Smith, St Lawrence
  Presenting Author