Does the type of text, affect parent-child behaviour during shared book reading ? A case study in a bilingual family

Abstract

Background: Shared book reading (SBR) can be identified as, the adult-child interaction which facilitates the active engagement of children in comprehending and responding to a text which is read aloud (Pentimonti et al., 2021). SBR facilitates early literacy skills leading towards becoming a skilled reader and can be promoted in the home and at school (Morris et al., 2021). SBR research has mainly focused on print text, however, with the development of differing technologies, the use of digital text as part of SBR has become a part of the education and family landscape (Bråten et al., 2020).

Aims: To examine parent-child behaviour during SBR in print text and in digital text

Methods: Video recorded SBR sessions of one parent-child dyad was analysed using pre-defined behaviour types.

Results: The immediate talk was frequently occurred among both parent and child. Talk related to features of text type was more significant in print text than digital text. The only behaviour observed in SBR in English with digital text was the talk related to features of digital text made by parent. The child didn’t indicate any pre-defined behaviour during SBR in English digital text. 

Conclusions: Parent-child behaviours during SBR in print text, is prominent than in digital text. Raising awareness among parents about the equal importance of the role of both print and digital texts during SBR, leading towards the development of literacy skills is essential.