The significance of adult storybook reading styles on the development of young children's emergent reading

Past research has failed to adequately consider the relationships between both the parent interaction styles and teacher interaction styles on young children's emergent reading development. The present study examined to what extent teacher and parent interaction styles during storybook reading predict emergent reading level. Volunteer subjects were 30 kindergarten children (18 girls and 12 boys), their parents, and teachers. Transcribed audio‐taped sessions were used to measure adult interaction style during storybook reading to the child. Children were audio‐taped while attempting to read the storybook to the investigator. Transcriptions of these sessions were used to rate emergent reading level using the emergent reading continuum developed by Sulzby (1985). Independent variables were: (a) percentage of high cognitive demands, (b) total number of cognitive demands, (c) number of storybook sessions per week, and (d) age the parent began reading to their child. No confounding effects on the dependent variable were found for child's sex and age and mother's education level. R‐SQUARE regression results indicated that percentage of teacher high cognitive demand and age parent began reading to their child accounted for 30% of the variability in emergent reading level, p= .008.