Kindergarten Children Acquiring Words Through Storybook Reading

Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) are slower to learn new words than their peers, placing them at risk for academic failure. In this study, we are improving a storybook reading treatment to help Kindergarten children with SLI learn new words. In this study, we compare three versions of book reading that vary in how often children are tested on, meaning asked to talk about, the words they are learning in the book: low vs. mid vs. high testing. We then examine which version of the treatment leads to better learning of the words during treatment and remembering of the words after treatment. We also seek to understand individual differences in treatment outcomes by examining pre-treatment predictors as well as progress during and after treatment.