A Formative Study of an E-book Instructional Model in Early Literacy

Kathleen Roskos, Karen Burstein, Byeong-Keun You, Jeremy Brueck, Carolyn O’ Brien

.
John Carroll University, Ohio, United State.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2011.21002                

Abstract

The electronic book is a rapidly growing alternative to the conventional book even for very young children; however, empirical studies on e-books as curricular tools in early literacy development and instruction are rare. Few instructional designs have been developed and tested. This formative study investigates the potential functionality and usability of a prototype 4-component e-book instructional model in a small sample of preschool classrooms. Using qualitative analytic strategies, observational data of its components were examined to identify salient indicators and design features, and to assess its feasibility. Results yielded design information on each component: (1) e-book as a quality technology-mediated environment; (2) physical place criteria; (3) engagement indicators; and (4) instructional potential. Strengths and weaknesses of the four-component model design were identified for purposes of revision and stabilizing the model for further testing in a larger classroom sample.

Keywords

E-books, Preschool, Early Literacy

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2003). Taking delight in words: Using oral language to build young children’s vocabularies. American Educator, 27, 36-46.
[2]	Biemiller, A. &. Boote, C. (2006). An effective method for building meaning vocabulary in primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 44-62. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.98.1.44
[3]	Biemiller, A. & Slonim, N. (2001). Estimating root word vocabulary growth in normative and advantaged populations: Evidence for a common sequence of vocabulary acquisition. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 498-520. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.93.3.498
[4]	Carney, T. F. (1990). Collaborative inquiry methodology. Windsor, Ontario: University of Windsor, Division for Instructional Development. doi:10.1207/s15327809jls1301_2
[5]	Collins, A., Joseph, D., & Bielaczyc, K. (2004). Design research: Theoretical and methodological issues. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13, 15-42.
[6]	de Jong, M. T. & Bus, A. G. (2003). How well suited are electronic books for supporting literacy? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 3, 147-164. doi:10.1177/14687984030032002
[7]	Dunn, L. M. & Dunn, L. M. (1997). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- III. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Publishers.
[8]	Ergul, C., Burstein, K., & Bryan, T. (in press). Curriculum based decision-making: An assessment model to enhance early literacy skills of ELL preschoolers with and without special needs.
[9]	Fishburn, T. (2008). Mobile device early reading interventions in kindergarten classrooms, Ph. D. dissertation, New Castle, DE: Wilmington University.
[10]	Greenman, J. (2005). Caring spaces, learning places: Children’s environments that work, Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, Inc.
[11]	Korat, O. & Shamir, A. (2004). Do Hebrew electronic books differ from Dutch electronic books? A replication of a Dutch content analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20, 257-268. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2004.00078.x
[12]	Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the new media age. New York: Routledge. Lofland, J. (1971). Analyzing social settings: a guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
[13]	Mason, J., Peterman, C., & Kerr, B. (1989). Reading to kindergarten children. In D. Strickland and L. Morrow (Eds.), Emerging literacy: Young children learn to read and write. (pp. 52-62). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
[14]	McKenna, M., & Zucker, T. (2009). Use of electronic storybooks in reading instruction. In A. Bus and S. B. Neuman (Eds.), Multimedia and literacy development. (pp. 254-272). New York: Routledge.
[15]	Moore, G. T. (2001). Children, young people and their environment. Keynote address at the Fourth Child and Family Policy Conference, Dunedin, NZ.
[16]	Morris, D. (1992). Concept of word: A pivotal understanding in the learning-to-read process. In S. Templeton & D. R. Bear (Eds.), Development of orthographic knowledge and the foundations of literacy: A memorial festschrift for Edmund H. Henderson, (pp. 53-77). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
[17]	National Early Literacy Panel. (2008). A scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications for intervention.Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
[18]	Paivio, A. (1986). Mental representation: A dual coding approach. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
[19]	QSR International (2007) NVivo 8. http://www.qsrinternational.com.
[20]	Reigeluth, C. M., & Frick, T.W. (1999). Formative research: A methodology for creating and improvingdesign theories. In C. M. Reigeluth (Eds.), Instructional-design theories and models – A new paradigm of instructional theory (pp. 633-652). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
[21]	Roskos, K. (2008). The benefits of going green. In S. B. Neuman (Ed.), In Educating the other America (pp. 333-346). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.
[22]	Roskos, K., Brueck, J., & Widman, S. (2009). Developing analytic tools for e-book design in early literacy learning. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 8, 2009. Internet Available: http://www.ncolr.org/jiol.
[23]	Roskos, K. & Burstein, K. (2009). Attempting to level the playing field: A vocabulary intervention for at risk and special needs preschoolers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Diego, CA.
[24]	Roskos, K., Ergul, C., Bryan, T., Burstein, K., Christie, J., & Han, M. (2008). Who’s learning what words and how fast: Preschoolers’ vocabulary growth in an early literacy program. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 22, 275-290. doi:10.1080/02568540809594627
[25]	Segers, E. (2009). Learning from interactive vocabulary books in kindergarten. In A. Bus and S. B. Neuman (Eds.), Multimedia and literacy development, (pp. 112-123). New York: Routledge.
[26]	Segers, E., Nooijen, M., & de Moor, J. (2006). Computer vocabulary training in kindergarten children with special needs. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 29, (4), 343-345. doi:10.1097/MRR.0b013e328010f4e0
[27]	Shamir, A. & Korat, O. (2009). The educational electronic book as a tool for supporting children’s emergent literacy. In A. Bus & S. B. Neuman (Eds.), Multimedia and literacy development (pp. 168-181). New York: Routledge.
[28]	Silverman, R. (2007). A comparison of three methods of vocabulary instruction during read-alouds in kindergarten. The Elementary School Journal, 108, 97-113. doi:10.1086/525549
[29]	Teale, W. (2010). Discussant comments at the 17th Annual Conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Berlin, Germany.
[30]	U. S. Department of Education, Ed.gov. (2008). Early Reading First. URL (last checked 31 January 2011) http://www2.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html
[31]	Vaughn, S. & Linan-Thompson, S. (2004). Research-based methods of reading instruction. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
[32]	Verhallen, M., Bus, A., & de Jong, M. (2006). The promise of multimedia stories for kindergarten children at risk. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 410-419. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.98.2.410
[33]	Zaritsky, R., Kelly, A., Flowers, W., Rogers, E. & O’Neill, P. (2003). Clinical design sciences: a view from sister design efforts. Educational Researcher, 32, 32-34. doi:10.3102/0013189X032001