An Investigation of Read-Alouds, Classroom Interactions, and Guided Play as Supports for Vocabulary Learning in Preschool.
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: A large body of research has established the existence of a gap in vocabulary knowledge that occurs largely along socioeconomic lines, is evident prior to age two, and continues to widen as children age. Because research has shown that early vocabulary knowledge supports present and later text comprehension, interventions for supporting preschoolers’ vocabulary development are being explored through research and in classrooms. The present study sought to build upon prior research to explore the impact of two intervention conditions, rich instruction + more rich instruction (RI) and rich instruction + play (+P), on preschoolers’ knowledge of targeted Tier 2 vocabulary words selected from read-alouds of children’s literature. The study included 28 preschool students in two full-day, state-funded classrooms, mean age=4.32. A within-subjects design was used to allow all students to experience both conditions by randomly assigning target words to each condition. Findings suggest that participation in both the rich instruction + more rich instruction (RI) and rich instruction +play (+P) conditions increased preschoolers’ learning of targeted Tier 2 vocabulary words. Furthermore, students demonstrated deeper word learning in the +P condition as compared to the RI condition. There is some evidence to suggest that preschoolers may have been more engaged in the classroom activities in the +P condition than when they were in the RI condition. Implications for choosing target words for preschool students are also discussed.
Author: Elizabeth S. LaGamba
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: University of Pittsburgh
OpenAlex ID: W2924822034