Using Multimedia Storybooks With Head Start Children: An Experimental Study of Interactive Features

• In Event: Digital Literacy and Literacy Instruction

Abstract

This study investigates how using multimedia storybooks with interactive features influenced preschool children’s story enjoyment and comprehension. Prekindergarten children in eight Head Start programs (N=91) were randomly assigned to read multimedia storybooks in three conditions: (1) with extra interactive features that are relevant to the story narrative, (2) with extra interactive features that are not relevant to the story narrative, and (3) control condition with no additional features. Findings showed that children’s self-reported enjoyment did not differ across reading conditions. However, children reading with story-relevant features scored higher on story comprehension and children reading with story-irrelevant features scored lower than children in the no-feature condition.

Authors

• Claire Seung-Hee Son, University of Utah

• Kirsten Butcher, University of Utah

• Lauren Aimonette Liang, University of Utah