The effect of an e-delivered dialogic reading programme, for middleclass caregiver-preschooler dyads, on the vocabulary and narrative skills of the pre-schoolers

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Literacy rates in South Africa (SA) are low, with the cycle of poverty being continued by these rates (Spaull, 2015). Language abilities during the preschool years have been shown to correlate with later literacy skills and academic achievement (Hoff, 2013). If one promotes children’s language development, literacy skills will in turn increase. Literacy interventions (such as dialogic reading (DR) programmes) can benefit language development in children of mid and high socioeconomic status (SES) (Zevenbergen and Whitehurst, 2003). The delivery and effect of DR interventions on language development of children from low SES communities are yet to be thoroughly researched, especially in SA. DR is one low cost literacy intervention (Vallyet al., 2014), as training of parents and the implementation requires no equipment other than the book being read. The aim of this study was to ascertain if an electronically delivered DR programme could be successfully implemented in a mid-SES community in SA. The DR and control group each consisted of 10 parent-child dyads. Child participants were between 2;8 and 5;6 years old. Using books from Bookdash, a SA organisation that create culturally appropriate storybooks (Book Dash | New, African storybooks by volunteer creatives, 2020), I delivered a 4-week programme with weekly instructional videos to parents in the DR group on the Whitehurst’s (2002) CROWD techniques (Completion, Recall, Open ended questions, WH-questions, Distancing). The control (traditional reading) group received the same four books, read to the children with little to no interaction with the book, over the same period. Directly before and after the four weeks, the children’s vocabulary and narrative skills were assessed for change, with a self-made vocabulary comprehension and production assessment and the LITMUS-MAIN: English, respectively. Two focus groups were conducted post-intervention with parents from the DR group and were thematically analysed to establish if the parents found the content, delivery and duration of the programme appropriate. The results show the DR programme improved vocabulary comprehension and production, and story structure, but not the structural complexity of the children’s narratives, more so than the “traditional reading”. Four case studies illustrate the findings of the study, featuring participants representative of the group, in terms of age and improvement . The focus groups indicated the content and e-delivery to be appropriate for the mid-SES community; however, it might not be appropriate for low-SES communities. The implications of the findings are that an e-delivered DR programme can be successfully delivered improving the vocabulary comprehension and production and story structure of mid-SES pre-schoolers. Future studies should investigate the appropriateness and effect of ane-delivered DR programme and the content and delivery method for pre-schoolers with low SES.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geletterdheidskoerse in Suid-Afrika (SA) is laag, en die kringloop van armoede word deur hierdie lae koerse voortgesit (Spaull, 2015). Taalvermoëns tydens die voorskoolse jare korreleer met latere geletterdheidsvaardighede en akademiese prestasie (Hoff, 2013). As kinders se taalontwikkeling verbeter, laat dit hul geletterdheidsvaardighede toeneem. Geletterdheidsintervensies (soos dialogiese lees (DL) -programme) kan taalontwikkeling bevorder onder kinders met mid-en hoë sosio-ekonomiese status (SES) (Zevenbergen en Whitehurst, 2003). Die lewering en effek van DL-intervensies op die taalontwikkeling van kinders uit lae-SES gemeenskappe moet egter nog deeglik ondersoek word, veral in SA. DL is ‘n lae-kostegeletterdheidsintervensie (Vally et al., 2014), aangesien oueropleiding en die implementering van die intervensie geen toerusting benodig buiten die boek wat gelees word nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of ’n elektronies-gelewerde DL-program met sukses in ’n mid-SES gemeenskap in SA geïmplementeer kan word. Die DL-en kontrolegroep het elk uit 10 ouer- kindpare bestaan. Die kinderdeelnemers was tussen 2;8 en 5;6 jaar oud. Met behulp van boeke van Bookdash, ’n SA organisasie wat kultuurtoepaslike storieboeke skep (Book Dash | New, African storybooks by volunteer creatives, 2020), het ek ’n 4-weekprogram met weeklikse instruksievideo’s gelewer aan ouers in die DL-groep. Hierdie program en video’s het gefokus op Whitehurst (2002) se sogenaamde CROWD-tegnieke (Completion/voltooiing, Recall/herroeping, Open ended questions/oop vrae, WH questions/W-vrae, Distancing/distansiëring). Die kontrole (tradisionele lees) -groep het dieselfde vier boeke ontvang, wat gedurende dieselfde periode aan die kinders voorgelees is met min of geen interaksie met die boek nie. Direk voor en ná hierdie vier weke is die kinders se woordeskat en narratiefvaardighede getoets met onderskeidelik ’n self-opgestelde woordeskatbegrip-en -produksietoetsen die LITMUS-MAIN: Engels. Twee fokusgroepbesprekings is ná intervensie met ouers uit die DL-groep gehou en is tematies geanaliseer om vas te stel of die ouers die inhoud, lewering en duur van die program toepaslik gevind het. Die resultate toon dat die DL-program, tot ʼn groter mate as “tradisionele lees”, woordeskatbegrip en -produksie en storiestruktuur verbeter het, maar nie die strukturele kompleksiteit van die kinders se narratiewe nie. Vier gevallestudies, met deelnemers wat verteenwoordigend is van die groep in terme van ouderdom en mate van verbetering, illustreer hierdie bevindinge. Die fokusgroepbesprekings het aangedui dat inhoud en e-aflewering geskik is vir die mid-SES gemeenskap, maar dalk nie vir lae-SES gemeenskappe nie. Die implikasies van die bevindinge is dat ’n e-afgelewer DL-program suksesvol gelewer kan word en woordeskatbegrip en -produksie en storiestruktuur van mid-SES voorskoolse kinders verbeter. Toekomstige studies kan die toepaslikheid en effek van ’n e-gelewerende DL-program en die inhoud en afleweringsmetode vir voorskoolse kinders in lae-SES gemeenskappe ondersoek.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Dialogic reading, E-delivered dialogic reading programme, Literacy -- Study and teaching (Early childhood), Early childhood education, Education, Elementary -- Activity programs, UCTD
Citation