Abstract:
Vocabulary development plays an important role in pre-literacy skills. Children who are learning two languages often lag behind their peers in vocabulary skills, thus making them at risk for academic struggles. Previous research supports the use of dialogic reading interventions as a way to improve vocabulary skills. The home environment serves as a feasible place for children to learn new words through the practice of dialogic reading with their caregivers.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a dialogic reading intervention, in the primary language of Spanish, on the acquisition of vocabulary skills in Spanish and English. The interventions were provided in Spanish to an intervention group of seven students, while eight other students were in the control group. The focus of the intervention was to train parents of bilingual preschoolers who were enrolled in Head Start ways to increase vocabulary development through the use of dialogic reading. Direct, in-person, training was offered to the caregivers in English and Spanish. In addition, all correspondence was given in English and Spanish, including on-line videos demonstrating dialogic reading. Caregivers were asked to implement the interventions three times a week for a total of eight weeks. While there was no statistical significance between the intervention and control groups, there were individual improvements in vocabulary skills among the participants.