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Does Teacher Talk during Shared Reading Predict Child Oral Language Development in Diverse ECEC Settings?

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Title: Does Teacher Talk during Shared Reading Predict Child Oral Language Development in Diverse ECEC Settings?
Language: English
Authors: Tone Sofie Røsholt Ovati (ORCID 0009-0003-2860-1115), Veslemøy Rydland, Ratib Lekhal, Stian Lydersen, Vibeke Grøver (ORCID 0000-0001-6405-3601)
Source: First Language. 2026 46(2):234-255.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Classroom Communication, Early Childhood Education, Language Acquisition, Oral Language, Prediction, Reading Aloud to Others, Foreign Countries, Questioning Techniques, Early Childhood Teachers, Diversity, Urban Schools, Preschool Children, Small Group Instruction, Individual Characteristics, Vocabulary Development
Geographic Terms: Norway
DOI: 10.1177/01427237251377897
ISSN: 0142-7237
1740-2344
Abstract: This study investigated whether features of teacher talk predicted children's oral language development in diverse early childhood education and care settings, and whether the potential effects differed due to children's age or dual language learner (DLL) status. The study included 203 classrooms with 734 children aged between 25 and 59 months at onset, 56.6% of whom were DLLs. Teacher talk during small-group shared readings was recorded in the fall and coded for question types (advanced and referential wh-questions) and linguistic features (vocabulary quantity, vocabulary diversity, and utterance length), and children's vocabulary and syntactic comprehension were assessed in the fall and spring. Our findings suggest that teachers' advanced wh-questions can significantly promote children's development of syntactic comprehension, regardless of their age and DLL status. Furthermore, teachers' utterance length and diverse vocabulary use predicted children's development of syntactic comprehension, and teacher's diverse vocabulary use predicted children's vocabulary development, with some of these relationships being moderated by children's age and DLL status. These findings emphasize the importance of teachers employing strategies that elicit children's participation and activate thinking from a young age and irrespective of their language background.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1499857
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Does Teacher Talk during Shared Reading Predict Child Oral Language Development in Diverse ECEC Settings?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tone+Sofie+Røsholt+Ovati%22">Tone Sofie Røsholt Ovati</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2860-1115">0009-0003-2860-1115</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Veslemøy+Rydland%22">Veslemøy Rydland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ratib+Lekhal%22">Ratib Lekhal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stian+Lydersen%22">Stian Lydersen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vibeke+Grøver%22">Vibeke Grøver</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6405-3601">0000-0001-6405-3601</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22First+Language%22"><i>First Language</i></searchLink>. 2026 46(2):234-255.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 22
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classroom+Communication%22">Classroom Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Oral+Language%22">Oral Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prediction%22">Prediction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Aloud+to+Others%22">Reading Aloud to Others</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questioning+Techniques%22">Questioning Techniques</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Teachers%22">Early Childhood Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity%22">Diversity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Small+Group+Instruction%22">Small Group Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary+Development%22">Vocabulary Development</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Norway%22">Norway</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/01427237251377897
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  Data: 0142-7237<br />1740-2344
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: This study investigated whether features of teacher talk predicted children's oral language development in diverse early childhood education and care settings, and whether the potential effects differed due to children's age or dual language learner (DLL) status. The study included 203 classrooms with 734 children aged between 25 and 59 months at onset, 56.6% of whom were DLLs. Teacher talk during small-group shared readings was recorded in the fall and coded for question types (advanced and referential wh-questions) and linguistic features (vocabulary quantity, vocabulary diversity, and utterance length), and children's vocabulary and syntactic comprehension were assessed in the fall and spring. Our findings suggest that teachers' advanced wh-questions can significantly promote children's development of syntactic comprehension, regardless of their age and DLL status. Furthermore, teachers' utterance length and diverse vocabulary use predicted children's development of syntactic comprehension, and teacher's diverse vocabulary use predicted children's vocabulary development, with some of these relationships being moderated by children's age and DLL status. These findings emphasize the importance of teachers employing strategies that elicit children's participation and activate thinking from a young age and irrespective of their language background.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1499857
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        Value: 10.1177/01427237251377897
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 234
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Classroom Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
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      – SubjectFull: Oral Language
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      – SubjectFull: Prediction
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Aloud to Others
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Questioning Techniques
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      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Teachers
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      – SubjectFull: Diversity
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      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Small Group Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Development
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      – SubjectFull: Norway
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      – TitleFull: Does Teacher Talk during Shared Reading Predict Child Oral Language Development in Diverse ECEC Settings?
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              Y: 2026
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