Reading in two languages: Parents’ strategy and language use across book formats during bilingual shared reading

This study asked how bilingual parents read to their children in two languages. Data were collected in Montreal, Quebec, where French and English are spoken widely. Parents read children three books in different formats: books in their dominant language, books in their non-dominant language, and bilingual books. Parents' quality and quantity of reading in any language was stable across formats, but non-dominant language use was highest with books written in that language. Overall, parents relied most on the dominant language during story discussion but provided children with high-quality reading interactions in both languages, regardless of their proficiency in the languages.