Clinical trial NCT03847675: Reach Out and Read Arabic to Promote Arabic Literacy in Toddlers
Official title: "Reach Out and Read" Arabic to Promote Parental Reading to Toddlers and Preschoolers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Child Development
Keywords: Reach out and Read
Arabic literacy
Child development
Lead sponsor: American University of Beirut Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2019-02-20
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 4
Maximum age (years): 6
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: An experimental double blinded parallel arms randomized controlled trial with pre and post-intervention assessment over a period of 12 months with a follow up plan at 2 and 3 years of age
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The goal of this study is to encourage parents to read Arabic books to their children from an early age and by extension children will be more likely to read Arabic books and ultimately improve their Arabic literacy.

The investigators' hypothesis is that an adapted "Reach Out and Read" program will result in an increase in the proportion of parents reading Arabic books to their children after the intervention.

Detailed description: Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age, as reading exposes the child to rich language and diverse content. Reach Out and Read program (ROR) is an American non-profit organization that advocates for childhood literacy.

In this study the investigators aim to implement an adapted version of the "Reach Out and Read" program and to encourage parents to read Arabic books to their children in order for this to become a daily habit. The goal of this study is to see an increase in the proportion of parents who read Arabic books to their children and by extension children will grow up loving to read Arabic books and ultimately may have improved Arabic literacy.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Parents must identify the study's settings as the usual site for their child regular checkups
* Families are eligible if at least one parent understands, speaks and reads Arabic.
* The child's age between 4 and 6 months at the time of the enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children diagnosed or displaying severe behavioral, cognitive, or physical impairment, that prevents them in meaningfully engaging in a reading activity example: severe autism, profound developmental or intellectual delay.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Proportion of parents reading Arabic books to their children
timeFrame: 3 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Weekly frequency of parental reading in Arabic before, and after the intervention
timeFrame: 3 years
measure: Children's vocabulary and language / words'
timeFrame: 3 years
measure: Children's early developmental milestones
timeFrame: 3 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Beirut
country: Lebanon
facility: American University of Beirut
Study officials:
affiliation: American University of Beirut Medical Center
name: Lama Charafeddine, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Duursma E, Augustyn M, Zuckerman B. Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child. 2008 Jul;93(7):554-7. doi: 10.1136/adc.2006.106336. Epub 2008 May 13. No abstract available.
citation: Kuhl PK. Early Language Learning and Literacy: Neuroscience Implications for Education. Mind Brain Educ. 2011 Sep;5(3):128-142. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-228X.2011.01121.x.