First Advisor

Donna Boudreau

Term of Graduation

Summer 2001

Date of Publication

7-13-2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Department

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Language

English

Subjects

Reading -- Parent participation, Mother and child, Father and child

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 75 pages)

Abstract

Research demonstrates that engaging children in storybook reading positively relates to the development of early literacy skills. Parents use a variety of techniques to facilitate interactions when reading to a child. Past research suggests that these techniques may have measurable effects on language and literacy development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate reading events shared by parents and their preschool aged children to determine if differences are present in the didactic techniques and language used by fathers and mothers. The primary research question addressed by this study was: Are there differences in reading techniques employed by mothers and fathers in storybook reading with preschool aged children? Specifically: (a) Do mothers and fathers differ in the types of didactic strategies employed?; (b) Do mothers and fathers differ in the frequency of didactic techniques used?; and (c) Do mothers and fathers differ in the complexity of language used?

The criteria for subject selection required that participating families had preschool aged preliterate children who were native English speakers with English being the primary language spoken in the families' homes. The participating children had to be free of any known speech, language, or hearing impairments as reported by parents. Ten families with children ranging in age from 36 -50 months participated. Two reading sessions took place on a single visit to the family home. Stimuli consisted of two storybooks matched according author and illustrator, Mean Length of Utterance, number of complex language forms, and narrative structure. Each parent-child dyad read one unfamiliar storybook per session which was videotaped, transcribed, and coded for analysis.

Findings from this study indicate, the overall interactive behaviors of mothers and fathers in storybook reading events with their children were not significantly different, suggesting that parental storybook reading practices were similar in the type and frequency of strategies employed. Qualitative differences were noted, however.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44868

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