Influence of verbal and nonverbal references to print on preschoolers' visual attention to print during storybook reading.

Full Abstract

How much do preschool children look at print within storybooks when adults read to them? This study sought to answer this question as well as to examine the effects of adult verbal and nonverbal references to print on children's visual attention to print during storybook reading. Forty-four preschool-aged children participated in this study designed to determine the amount of visual attention children paid to print in 4 planned variations of storybook reading. Children's visual attention to print was examined when adults commented and questioned about print (verbal print condition) or pointed to and tracked the print (nonverbal print condition), relative to 2 comparison conditions (verbatim reading and verbal picture conditions). Results showed that children rarely look at print, with about 5%-6% of their fixations allocated to print in verbatim and verbal picture reading conditions. However, preschoolers' visual attention to print increases significantly when adults verbally and nonverbally reference print; both reading styles exerted similar effects. The authors conclude that explicit referencing of print is 1 way to increase young children's contacts with print during shared storybook reading. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Author information

Author/s: Justice, Laura M (LM); Pullen, Paige C (PC); Pence, Khara (K);

Affiliation: Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia, USA. justice.57(-atsign-)osu.edu

Grants: HD 119058 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Developmental psychology (Dev Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-May; vol 44 (issue 3) : pp 855-66

Dates: Created 2008/05/13; Completed 2008/08/11;

PMID: 18473649, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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