Effects of a Culturally Responsive Interactive Book-Reading Intervention on the Language Abilities of Preschool Dual Language Learners: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Despite evidence that interactive book-reading is a way to promote children's language skills, few book reading interventions exist for Latino dual language learners (DLLs).  The aims of this pilot study were to (a) examine the effects of participation in a culturally responsive interactive book-reading intervention on the language abilities of preschool DLLs and (b) investigate the social and cultural validity of the intervention. With 73 mother-child dyads (35 intervention and 38 control), we examined the effectiveness of the intervention on children's language skills, as measured by standardized assessment and language samples. Children in the intervention group made significantly greater gains in number of different words and mean length of utterance in words than children in the control group. No intervention effects were found for the standardized language measures. Mothers reported the intervention had strong social and culturally validity. Future directions for refinement and further testing of this intervention are discussed.