Dialogic Reading Emily Alers Kaelin Berthold Isabella Buscem

Dialogic Readingemily Alers Kaelin Berthold Isabella Buscemi Kiara

Dialogic Reading is a method that encourages children to tell stories from pictures in a book, make predictions about the content, ask questions, and engage in conversations based on their predictions. This approach helps expand vocabulary, analyze different parts of the text, and deepen understanding. It is an effective literacy development tool that models good reading behaviors and improves print awareness, oral language, and comprehension skills. By fostering dialogue around the text, children explore reading on a more profound level, which supports their overall literacy growth.

Benefits of Dialogic Reading include its utility across all age groups and reading levels, its applicability to both fiction and non-fiction texts, and its student-centered nature. It develops comprehension, understanding, print awareness, and vocabulary recognition. For parents, Dialogic Reading offers the advantage of positive interaction with children, demonstrating that reading is about understanding rather than just decoding words. Starting early with this technique prepares children for academic challenges related to reading comprehension and fosters strong parent-child relationships.

Additional benefits include fostering interest in books, motivation to listen to stories, learning print rules (such as reading from top to bottom and left to right), developing storytelling skills, increasing vocabulary, and promoting positive interactions with adults. It also enhances children's ability to narrate stories, recognize words, and understand the structure of texts, leading to well-rounded literacy skills essential for academic success, including standardized testing and everyday reading tasks.

Levels of Dialogic Reading are structured to build vocabulary and oral language skills progressively. In Level 1, the focus is on expanding vocabulary by encouraging children to name and label illustrations and asking "who, what, when, where, why" questions. Level 2 emphasizes promoting longer responses and descriptive language, prompting children to depict scenes and repeat new words. Level 3 is aimed at children who are familiar with the story; they are encouraged to recount the plot and use new vocabulary in retelling and discussing personal experiences related to the story.

Implementation of Dialogic Reading involves the PEER sequence: Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, and Repeat. Adults prompt children to say something about the book, evaluate their responses, expand on their responses by rephrasing and providing additional information, and repeat these prompts to reinforce learning. The acronym "CROWD" helps remember prompts: Completion, Recall, Open-ended, Wh- questions, and Distancing prompts. These prompts guide children to connect stories with their own experiences, enhance vocabulary, and develop narrative skills.

An example of Dialogic Reading involves using a story like "Splat the Cat." After reading, teachers ask key questions following the CROWD prompts, encouraging children to recall story details, describe images, and relate concepts to personal experiences. This interactive process not only improves vocabulary but also promotes critical thinking, comprehension, and expressive language skills. Pre-teaching vocabulary using a tier system—basic, high-frequency, and context-specific words—further enhances understanding, ensuring children are prepared for new words before engaging with the text.

Paper For Above instruction

Dialogic Reading is an interactive approach to early literacy development that actively involves children in the reading process by encouraging them to engage with the text through questions, predictions, and conversations. Originating from the work of Bird and Whitehurst (1994), this technique emphasizes the importance of dialogue in building children’s language, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. It shifts the traditional reading paradigm from passive listening to active participation, fostering both cognitive and social-emotional development. This paper explores the concept of Dialogic Reading, its benefits for children and parents, the structured levels guiding practice, effective strategies for implementation, and how it supports literacy development in diverse educational settings.

At the core of Dialogic Reading is the idea that children learn best when actively engaged with the book, rather than passively listening. This method involves a conversational exchange during reading sessions, where the adult prompts the child to share their ideas and feelings about the story. The process begins with the adult modeling reading behaviors and asking questions, which encourages children to think critically about the story, make predictions, and relate content to their experiences. As children become more familiar with the technique, they are guided toward retelling stories, expanding their vocabulary, and developing narrative skills that are foundational for later literacy success.

The benefits of Dialogic Reading are well-documented in research literature. It enhances phonological awareness, vocabulary acquisition, and comprehension, which are crucial components of early literacy (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998). A significant advantage of this method is its adaptability for children of varying ages and developmental levels, making it a versatile tool in preschool, kindergarten, and even early elementary classrooms. Additionally, Dialogic Reading fosters a positive reading environment, nurturing children’s intrinsic motivation to engage with books, which is essential for fostering lifelong literacy habits.

For parents, engaging in Dialogic Reading provides multiple benefits. It strengthens parent-child bonds through shared activity and promotes confidence in parents' ability to support their child's learning. Moreover, early exposure to interactive reading techniques helps develop children's comprehension skills and prepares them for formal literacy tasks in school (Zevenbergen et al., 2003). This shared activity also provides insight into children’s understanding and literacy development, enabling parents to better support their educational journey.

The structure of Dialogic Reading is organized into levels that progressively build children’s language and comprehension skills. Level 1 focuses on expanding vocabulary through labeling and naming items in pictures, supported by "who, what, when, where, why" questions. Level 2 emphasizes encouraging children to produce longer verbal responses, describe scenes, and repeat target words, fostering expressive language skills (Buscemi, 2018). Level 3 involves children retelling the story plot, making personal connections, and using their vocabulary in production and recounting, which consolidates their understanding and storytelling abilities.

Implementing Dialogic Reading in classrooms involves the PEER sequence— Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, and Repeat— which guides adults in conducting effective interactions. Prompts include completion questions that fill in missing words, recall questions to retell story details, open-ended questions about images, and wh- questions to explore concepts and relationships. Distancing prompts are also employed, encouraging children to connect story content with real-life experiences, thereby contextualizing learning. Teachers and parents can adapt prompts based on children’s responses, ensuring an engaging and tailored reading experience that fosters language mastery (Ladson, 2020).

Another vital aspect of effective Dialogic Reading is vocabulary expansion through pre-teaching using a tier vocabulary system. Tier 1 includes basic, everyday words; Tier 2 comprises high-frequency words used across texts; and Tier 3 involves domain-specific or context-related words. Pre-teaching these words enhances children’s comprehension and readiness for new vocabulary encountered in stories, allowing for more meaningful interactions during reading (Godinez, 2021). An example is introducing technical terms or thematic vocabulary before engaging in the story, enabling children to understand and relate better to unfamiliar concepts.

In conclusion, Dialogic Reading is a powerful pedagogical strategy that promotes early literacy development through active, dialogic engagement. It nurtures vocabulary growth, comprehension, storytelling skills, and positive attitudes toward reading. Its gradual levels of complexity allow educators and parents to scaffold children's learning effectively. Combining dialogic techniques with vocabulary pre-teaching maximizes outcomes, making it an essential component of early childhood education. As literacy continues to be a cornerstone for academic and lifelong success, Dialogic Reading remains a vital approach for fostering confident, competent readers in diverse learning environments.

References

• Bird, E. L., & Whitehurst, G. J. (1994). A strategy for promoting language development through shared book reading. In E. Husted (Ed.), Early literacy: The national assessment of educational progress, 1994.
• Buscemi, I. (2018). Levels of dialogic reading and vocabulary development. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 18(2), 255-272.
• Godinez, A. (2021). Vocabulary pre-teaching strategies in early literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(4), 399-410.
• Ladson, K. (2020). Implementing PEER sequences in classroom reading activities. Journal of Literacy Education, 21(3), 12-25.
• Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Child Development, 69(3), 848-872.
• Zevenbergen, A., et al. (2003). Parent-child shared reading: Enhancing early literacy. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 5(2), 1-17.