This study tested whether Bookstart – a program promoting book reading in infancy – continues to have animpact well into Kindergarten. We distinguished between children who were more or less... Show moreThis study tested whether Bookstart – a program promoting book reading in infancy – continues to have animpact well into Kindergarten. We distinguished between children who were more or less challenging to read to in infancy (more or less temperamentally reactive). Eighty percent (n = 471) of a sample participating in a study when the children were one year old – about half involved in Bookstart – agreed to complete a home literacy survey when the children were, on average, 72.1 months. A smaller group (n = 318) also consented to collect tests concerning language and math at children's Kindergarten. The findings show that language development when they are about to start learning to read still profits from Bookstart. Especially the temperamentally most reactive 50 % shows benefits (d = 0.21). Bookstart also improved children's home literacy environment (longer book reading sessions), but this effect did not explain Bookstart's impact in Kindergarten. Show less
In this digital era, a fundamental challenge is to design digital reading materials in such a way that they improve children’s reading skills. Since reading books is challenging for many fifth... Show moreIn this digital era, a fundamental challenge is to design digital reading materials in such a way that they improve children’s reading skills. Since reading books is challenging for many fifth graders—particularly for those genetically susceptible to attention problems—the researchers hypothesized that guidance from a digital Pedagogical Agent (PA) could improve students’ reading motivation and incidental vocabulary learning. Using a sample of 147 fifth-grade students, the researchers carried out a randomized control trial with three groups of students reading: (a) hardcopy (print) books, (b) digital books, and (c) digital books with a PA. For students with a genetic predisposition to attention problems, carriers of the DRD4 seven-repeat allele, the PA supported their incidental vocabulary learning. For noncarriers, there were no effects of the digital reading materials or the PA. Show less
