Autistic children experience challenges with narrative language and theory of mind (ToM). This pilot study examined the effects of a parent-led narrative intervention on the ToM of eight school-aged autistic children. Parents read three storybooks over a six-week period emphasizing ToM constructs (i.e., visual perspective-taking, emotion…

In this study, the effect of dialogic reading practices on the development of fluent reading skills of primary school 2nd grade students under the guidance of teachers and parents was examined. In the study the quasi-experimental design of the quantitative research approach was applied. A total of 30 students (first experimental group: 10, second…

Numerous studies have revealed the benefits of parents' reading-related activities that support children's cognitive development. However, little is known about the reading-related achievement emotions that are essential for self-confidence and well-being as a reader. To advance research in this important area of achievement emotions, it is…

Access to books and a rich language environment at home are important for children's language development. In this study we explored self-reported reading practices in families in Norway (N = 1001) to gain insight into the reading habits parents have with their young children, and the factors that best explain book reading in Norwegian homes. By…

Previous studies have elucidated the positive effect of the quantity and onset age of shared book reading on children's language development. Few studies have addressed the profiles of parental involvement in terms of different key aspects of shared book reading. This study adopted a latent profile analysis to examine the patterns of parental…

Parents' attitudes are an important indicator of whether and how parents engage in shared book reading (SBR) at home. This study analysed Norwegian parents' attitudes towards reading books with their children aged between 1-4.5 years. Thematic analysis of data from 24 interviews revealed two main themes in parents' accounts: agency (the child's…

This study examined the effect of dialogic reading intervention on improving the theory of mind of rural Chinese children. A 12-week-randomized controlled trial design with two intervention groups, i.e. school practice intervention (SPI), parent-involved intervention (PII), and one control group with traditional reading intervention (TRI) that…

This study explores the relationship between the Hanzi recognition performance and the home literacy environments of 351 children aged 3 to 6 based on Montessori's philosophy of education. This study used 200 frequently spoken words in Montessori classrooms as the word set of a Hanzi recognition test, based on which studies at six Montessori…

In summer 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, 8 parent-child dyads were recruited to participate in a pilot project to investigate the potential benefit of an at-home adaptation of an Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) for literacy. After completing a demographic survey and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (Cohen et al., 1983), children's reading…

This study investigated the types of reading instruction and opportunities prekindergarten children have both at school and outside of school to understand how their reading develops during the first semester of prekindergarten. An abundance of research suggests that many children enter kindergarten lacking foundational reading skills that they…

Studies of early reading in the home indicate the relevance of these experiences for young children's later reading development when they start school. The study reported here followed twenty children through 2 years prior to starting school and assessed their reading progress at the start of school. Audio/tape-recordings of their home experiences…

Research Findings: In the context of parent-child book sharing, cultural influences on cognitive distancing language and associations with child executive function (EF) have been understudied. This study examined cultural group similarities/differences in parent and child book-sharing distancing language among preschool-aged dual language learners…

In the current study, we examined the effect of a parent-implemented early communication intervention during shared book reading. Three mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder were trained and coached to use a set of reading techniques and evidenced-based naturalistic communication teaching strategies (i.e., modeling, mand-model, and…

Background: COVID-19 has resulted in some educators and allied health practitioners transitioning to online delivery of literacy instruction. As far as we are aware, no studies have investigated online delivery of comprehensive literacy instruction for children with Down syndrome. Aims: In this pilot study, we explore the efficacy of online…

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine how children's book format influences parent-child book reading engagement. The extant literature suggests that there are at least two potential mechanisms that might moderate children's engagement with and learning from books: (1) the format and features of the book itself and (2) how parents and…