Questioning Around Teacher-Child Book Reading: The Effect of Questions That Go beyond the Scripted Curriculum on Children’s Vocabulary Growth
Abstract
By reviewing existing data of preschool teacher small group shared reading video observations, the present investigator seeks to investigate the relationships between teacher questioning and child expressive and receptive vocabulary outcomes among a sample of dual language learners. Specifically, the aim is to understand whether questions at the lower end of cognitive complexity or whether higher order questions would influence vocabulary development. Teacher observations were coded and evaluated for question frequency and complexity and were analyzed using an observational system routinely used in experimental studies. The present study seeks to expand the knowledge concerning teacher language as it relates to the vocabulary of dual language learners.
The present study used hierarchical linear models, which accounted for the nested nature of the data, to analyze the relationships between teacher questioning and various other predictor variables on language and literacy outcomes. Analyses did not reveal significant relations between teachers’ questioning behavior on either standardized or researcher-developed measures. However, being in an intervention group appeared to significantly influence outcomes on researcher-developed measures. Additionally, preexisting levels of vocabulary moderated outcomes, which speaks to the importance of the home literacy environment and its relation to language. Finally, treatment teachers asked significantly more questions than comparison teachers, indicating they generalized their question type behavior from scripted intervention questions. Despite some non-significant findings concerning teacher questioning behaviors, understanding factors that moderate language delays and encourage vocabulary development of dual language learners should be a research priority.
Citation
Gamez-Patience, Brenda A (2015). Questioning Around Teacher-Child Book Reading: The Effect of Questions That Go beyond the Scripted Curriculum on Children’s Vocabulary Growth. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /155560.