WORD EXPOSURE CONDITIONS AND PRESCHOOLERS' NOVEL WORD LEARNING DURING SHARED STORYBOOK READING

Shared storybook reading is a key aid to vocabulary acquisition in childhood. However, word learning research has tended to use unnaturalistic (explicit) training regimes. Utilising a storybook paradigm, we examine whether children (particularly those with weaker vocabulary) are more likely to retain new words if they learn them closer to sleep. Parents read their child (5-7ys, n=237) an alien adventure story that contained 12 novel words with illustrations, at one of two training times: at bedtime or 3-5hrs before bedtime. Using on-line tasks, parents tested their child’s ability to recall the new words (production) and associate them with pictures (comprehension), immediately after hearing the story and again the following morning. As hypothesized, we replicated two findings: children showed overnight improvements in their ability to produce and comprehend new words when tested again the next day, and children with better existing vocabulary knowledge showed larger overnight gains in new word comprehension. Counter to expectations, overnight gains in comprehension were larger if the story was read 3-5 hours before, than at, bedtime. These ecologically valid findings are consistent with theories that characterise word learning as a prolonged process supported by mechanisms such as consolidation and retrieval practice, with existing vocabulary knowledge acting as an important source of variability in retention. The findings provide preliminary evidence that encountering new words in stories later in the day (but not too close to sleep) may help to harness vocabulary growth and may be more beneficial than leaving shared storybook reading just for bedtime.

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The effects of shared storybook reading on word learning: A meta-analysis.

Developmental Psychology ◽

10.1037/dev0000512 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 54 (7) ◽

pp. 1334-1346 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Zoe M. Flack ◽

Andy P. Field ◽

Jessica S. Horst

Keyword(s):

Word Learning ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Storybook Reading ◽

Shared Storybook Reading

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Preschoolers' Word-Learning During Storybook Reading Interactions: Comparing Repeated and Elaborated Input

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-19-00189 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 814-826 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maura O'Fallon ◽

Katie Von Holzen ◽

Rochelle S. Newman

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Word Learning ◽

Storybook Reading ◽

New Words ◽

Additional Information ◽

Language Interventions ◽

Shared Storybook Reading ◽

Novel Material ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Novel Words

Purpose Previous research shows that shared storybook reading interactions can function as effective speech and language interventions for young children, helping to improve a variety of skills—including word-learning. This study sought to investigate the potential benefits of elaboration of new words during a single storybook reading with preschoolers. Method Thirty-three typically developing children ages 35–37 months listened to a storybook containing novel words that were either repeated with a definition, repeated with no additional information, or only said once. Their receptive word-learning for these novel words was then evaluated via a preferential looking task. We analyzed children's correct looks to target pictures and compared looking behavior across the three levels of presentation. Results Results showed that preschoolers demonstrated successful receptive word-learning after a single storybook reading interaction with an adult when target words were repeated, either with or without elaboration. Within this context, elaboration was not required for preschoolers' receptive word-learning. Conclusions These results support the use of storybook reading with young children as a way to foster early receptive word-learning and highlight the importance of repeated exposure to novel material either with or without additional semantic information.

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Quantifying the Effects of Background Speech Babble on Preschool Children's Novel Word Learning in a Multisession Paradigm: A Preliminary Study

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-h-19-0083 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 345-356

Author(s):

Meital Avivi-Reich ◽

Megan Y. Roberts ◽

Tina M. Grieco-Calub

Keyword(s):

Word Learning ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Preschool Age ◽

Exposure Condition ◽

Signal To Noise ◽

Verbal Recall ◽

Referent Selection ◽

Main Effect ◽

Noise Ratio ◽

Novel Word Learning

Purpose This study tested the effects of background speech babble on novel word learning in preschool children with a multisession paradigm. Method Eight 3-year-old children were exposed to a total of 8 novel word–object pairs across 2 story books presented digitally. Each story contained 4 novel consonant–vowel–consonant nonwords. Children were exposed to both stories, one in quiet and one in the presence of 4-talker babble presented at 0-dB signal-to-noise ratio. After each story, children's learning was tested with a referent selection task and a verbal recall (naming) task. Children were exposed to and tested on the novel word–object pairs on 5 separate days within a 2-week span. Results A significant main effect of session was found for both referent selection and verbal recall. There was also a significant main effect of exposure condition on referent selection performance, with more referents correctly selected for word–object pairs that were presented in quiet compared to pairs presented in speech babble. Finally, children's verbal recall of novel words was statistically better than baseline performance (i.e., 0%) on Sessions 3–5 for words exposed in quiet, but only on Session 5 for words exposed in speech babble. Conclusions These findings suggest that background speech babble at 0-dB signal-to-noise ratio disrupts novel word learning in preschool-age children. As a result, children may need more time and more exposures of a novel word before they can recognize or verbally recall it.

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Measuring Word Learning Ability in Sequential Bilingual Children

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds17.1.25 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 25-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Pui Fong Kan

Keyword(s):

Word Learning ◽

Learning Ability ◽

Bilingual Children ◽

Word Knowledge ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Learning Skills ◽

Word Forms ◽

The Individual ◽

Novel Word Learning ◽

L1 And L2

Abstract The purpose of this article is to look at the word learning skills in sequential bilingual children—children who learn two languages (L1 and L2) at different times in their childhood. Learning a new word is a process of learning a word form and relating this form to a concept. For bilingual children, each concept might need to map onto two word forms (in L1 and in L2). In case studies, I present 3 typically developing Hmong-English bilingual preschoolers' word learning skills in Hmong (L1) and in English (L2) during an 8-week period (4 weeks for each language). The results showed gains in novel-word knowledge in L1 and in L2 when the amount of input is equal for both languages. The individual differences in novel word learning are discussed.

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