The Influence of Regulatory Skills on Early Literacy Development During e-storybook Reading

Abstract The effects of a classroom-focused intervention using a print referencing technique with shared e-book reading on a whiteboard is examined on different domains of early literacy. The goals of this study were to examine whether the impact of a print referencing embedded reading tool on learning capacities will be different for children varying in executive control functioning. Print knowledge, including phonics, and phonological awareness increase after the print referencing e-book interventions compared to the control conditions with a large effect size. Print referencing did not hinder children in learning new words, but enhanced vocabulary to the same extent as e-books normally do in kindergarten. Print referencing especially supports children with low regulatory skills to learn printed matters and to increase phonological awareness and remarkably, enhances vocabulary much better than reading without referring to print. The findings indicate that print referencing is a highly beneficial method to enhance all essential early literacy skills at the same time. It increases engagement in learning tasks, which potentially supports school achievement. The learning tool is particularly efficient for a tailor-made educational setting and will contribute to less workload for teachers.