Abstract:

Dialogic reading (DR) which involves the active participation of the child in the reading activity is a frequently used method of intervention to support the development of children's language and early literacy skills in preschool. Although there are numerous studies showing the short-term effects of DR on language and early literacy skills, the number of studies examining long-term effects and reporting positive results is quite limited. In this context, the study aimed to investigate the long-term results of the achievements obtained in the short term as a result of DR implementation and its impact on reading and reading comprehension skills. The study group consisted of 72 first grade children who participated in DR applications during kindergarten (DR Group) and 73 of their peers who did not participate in DR (Control Group). Groups’ word recognition, accuracy, fluency and reading comprehension skills were examined and compared. Results revealed that the DR group performed significantly better than the control group on reading speed for real words, number of nonwords read correctly, number of words read correctly in a text in one minute, and number of correct answers for reading comprehension. Results were discussed in the light of previous research findings and recommendations are presented.

Keywords: