The Impact of a Teacher’s Interactive Picture Book Reading Strategy on the Language Development and Emotional Intelligence of 2-Year-Old Infants

This study examined the effects of teachers’ interactive picture book reading strategies on the language development and emotional intelligence of two-year-old children. A total of 28 infants from daycare centers in District D were assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The experimental group participated in 16 sessions of interactive reading activities with teacher–child interaction strategies, while the control group engaged in regular book reading without interactive elements. The intervention was conducted from August to September 2024. Language development was assessed using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants (SELSI), and emotional intelligence was measured using a standardized emotional intelligence scale. Pre- and post-tests were administered, and data were analyzed using ANCOVA via SPSS 25.0. The results indicated that interactive reading strategies had a significant positive effect on both receptive and expressive vocabulary. Additionally, significant improvements were observed in emotional intelligence subdomains, including basic emotions, social behavior, self-concept, self-regulation, and social relationships. These findings underscore the educational value of interactive book reading based on emotionally supportive teacher–child interactions. The results suggest the need for further studies incorporating diverse instructional media and strategies to promote language and emotional development in early childhood.