This report by the Department of Educational and Family Studies at Amsterdam University looks at the relation between the type of questions teachers ask and children’s language competence during shared book reading.
Children’s level of language competence during early childhood is one of the most important predictors of their later success in learning to read. Moreover, well-developed language skills support children’s social development, because it enables children to express their thoughts and emotions.
Research has shown that shared book reading, during which teachers read aloud to their pupils and ask them questions before, during, and after reading the book, provides ample opportunities for children’s language learning.
However, the effect of shared book reading largely depends on the quality of the discussions before, during, and after reading the book. In other words, many of the learning opportunities during shared book reading are due to interactive dialogues between teachers and children. This could be explained by the fact that conversations during shared book reading provide children with the opportunity to hear and use new words, and to receive feedback while doing so.
An important aspect of the discussions during shared book reading includes teachers’ use of different types of questions. Although teachers’ comments (e.g., topic-continuing comments, new information/explication, or answers to children’s questions) during shared book reading are valuable, teachers’ questions open-up the conversations, and it is through these questions that a verbal response from children is initially elicited.