Reading Storybooks

Reading Storybooks
photo by: Leonid Mamchenkov
By C. Vukelich |J. Christie|B. Enz
Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall

Research reveals a connection between the amount of time adults spend reading storybooks to children and the level of children’s oral language development. The stories, pictures, and accompanying adult-to-child interactions facilitate language use and increase expressive and receptive vocabulary. Further, children who have been read to frequently are better able to retell stories than children who have had few opportunities to engage in story time (Barrentine, 1996; Durkin, 1966). Children are able to learn new vocabulary during storybook time as they point to pictures they see in the book and when an attentive adult labels the picture or illustration. This interaction is called shared visual attention and is the basis of a great deal of vocabulary development (Woodward & Guajardo, 2002; Corkum & Moore, 1998). Sharing simple storybooks with interesting illustrations is one way parents can increase their children’s vocabulary. As the parent, sibling, or caregiver reads the storybook to a child, the opportunity to label many wonderful new and rare sights is almost unavoidable! The following conversation took place between Josh (four) and Jared (two) while they were reading I Know a Rhino (actually talking about the pictures).

Josh: See the Rhi-na-ser-rus, Jared? They really don’t drink coffee but it’s funny.

Jared: Me, turn page.

Josh: Okay, see the pig? Jared, point to the muddy pig. You found him.

Josh: Now see? Okay, you tell me? What it is?

Jared: Monkey!

Josh: Well, it says ape but they are the same things, monkey and ape. Yup, the same thing, but say ape. Okay?

Jared: Ape monkey.
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