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Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine changes in language development in 3-year-old children through picture book reading activities. Methods A total of 14 children, 7 boys and 7 girls, were selected as research participants, targeting 3-year-old class children at daycare center A located in Incheon. Data were collected through three methods: observation diaries, interviews with children, and observation videos through participant observation research, twice a week for three months from June 2022 to September 2022. Field observations, measurements, and results records were analyzed by measuring, recording, and recording baseline, intervention, and maintenance using the single-subject research method, multiple baseline. Results The picture book reading experience conducted to investigate changes in the emotional language development of 3-year-old children showed an increase in ‘children's emotional communication and emotional language expression’ and ‘positive speech’ according to the content of the picture book, and positive interaction changes were observed in children aged 3 years. The three toddlers showed ‘growth in language development at age 3’ by ‘listening to each other’, ‘smooth conversation’, and ‘natural speech’. Conclusions Through research results, it was confirmed that reading picture books affects the language development of 3-year-old children and that emotional communication and verbal expression according to the contents of picture books increase and are maintained. In addition, positive interactive conversations appeared and changes in listening, waiting, and responding were observed. Through the picture book reading activity, which is the basis of children's language interaction, it was found that the role of the teacher according to the educational environment is important and that emotional language expansion is possible, raising the need to utilize it in daycare centers, which is an environmental factor. This study is an example of expanding and utilizing the emotional language development of children in daycare centers by reflecting picture book reading activities in the curriculum to overcome the problems of children's activities who have difficulty expressing appropriate language and emotions and forming empathy in various relationships. It has meaning.
Kang et al. (2024) studied this question.