ERIC Number: EJ1461242
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-8211
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3435
Available Date: 2024-10-27
Language Development Opportunities in Curricular and Trade Books: A Content Analysis
European Journal of Education, v60 n1 e12807 2025
This content analysis explored children's fictional storybooks and informational science books to determine their differences in high-quality text features that support oral language (OL) development. We also explored the opportunities for OL development in curricular books compared to trade books. Using systematic coding procedures, we evaluated the genre, vocabulary, syntactic variety, supportive visuals and cultural sensitivity in books from three kindergarten and Grade 1 reading curricula (n = 521) as well as a sample of commercially-available trade books (n = 48). Descriptive information was averaged to determine the percentage of high-quality text features included in each book type and genre. Results indicated that informational science trade books offered more opportunities for rich language experiences than their curricular counterparts or any of the fictional books. Thus, there is reason to believe that informational science trade books with high-quality text features may promote OL development and enhance the learning of young students.
Descriptors: Oral Language, Language Acquisition, Childrens Literature, Textbooks, Books, Fiction, Content Analysis, Grade 1, Reading Instruction, Kindergarten, Elementary School Curriculum, Elementary Education, Vocabulary, Cultural Awareness, Literary Genres, Syntax
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 1; Primary Education; Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Tennessee Reading Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA