Evaluating the Effectiveness of a ‘Real‐World' Shared Reading Intervention for Preschool Children and Their Families: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Lingwood Jamie , Billington Josie , Rowland Caroline 
Published: April 2020

Background

Shared reading interventions can impact positively on preschool children's language development and on their caregiver's attitudes/behaviours towards reading. However, a number of barriers may discourage families from engaging with these interventions, particularly families from lower socio‐economic status (SES) backgrounds. We investigated how families from such backgrounds responded to an intervention designed explicitly to overcome these barriers.

Methods

In a preregistered cluster randomised controlled trial, 85 lower SES families and their 3‐year‐old to 4‐year‐old children from 10 different preschools were randomly allocated to take part in The Reader's Shared Reading programme (intervention) or an existing ‘Story Time' group at a library (control) once a week for 8 weeks. Three outcome measures were assessed at baseline and post intervention: (1) attendance, (2) enjoyment of the reading groups and (3) caregivers' knowledge of, attitudes and behaviours towards reading. A fourth − children's vocabulary – was assessed at baseline and 4 weeks post intervention.

Results

Families were significantly more likely to attend the intervention group and rated it more favourably, compared with the control group. However, there were no significant effects on caregivers' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours or on children's language.

Conclusion

The intervention was only successful in engaging families from disadvantaged backgrounds in shared reading. Implications for the use, duration and intensity of shared reading interventions are discussed.

Highlights

What is already known about this topic

Shared reading interventions have the potential to impact positively on child language and on their caregivers' attitudes/behaviours.

However, a number of barriers may discourage families from participating or engaging with these interventions, particularly families from lower socio‐economic status (SES) backgrounds.

What this paper adds

We investigated how families from lower SES backgrounds responded to an intervention designed to overcome these barriers by, in particular, emphasising the enjoyment of reading, rather than its educational value.

This paper evaluates a real‐world intervention programme designed and developed by a third sector organisation, as opposed to a researcher‐designed shared reading intervention.

Families were significantly more likely to attend the intervention group and rated it more favourably, compared with the control group.

Implications for theory, policy or practice

These findings highlight the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of real‐world interventions that have been designed outside of the research community.

Despite the intervention using evidence‐based interactive reading techniques, which have been shown to positively impact on child language, this shared reading intervention did not have a significant effect on caregivers' home literacy practices or on child language.

Testing longer/more intensive interventions or interventions that engage teachers and other practitioners, as well as families, would be a fruitful avenue for future research.