Fostering Dialogic Reading Through Older Siblings in Immigrant Latino Families: A Pilot Study

Abstract

To promote children’s language development through designs that consider familial contexts, the authors explored the effectiveness of a dialogic reading intervention customized for older siblings in immigrant Latino families. The dialogic reading intervention, developed with components of training, modeling, and coaching, systematically supported older siblings’ dialogic reading use while reading with their younger siblings. Using the CROWD mnemonic, older siblings were taught to use a range of dialogic reading prompts, thereby nurturing diverse forms of engagement during shared interactive book reading (SIBR) sessions. Moreover, older siblings were taught the PEER mnemonic to enhance their ability to respond to their younger siblings’ input in manners conducive to promoting the latter’s language development. Effects of the intervention program on three older siblings’ (1) prompting and (2) responsiveness during SIBR were assessed using a multiple-baseline across participants design. Results indicate that two out of three older siblings increased prompt frequency and demonstrated improved responsiveness after receiving coaching and modeling support. Challenges faced by one older sibling are discussed, potentially attributed to individual language and literacy difficulties. Results tentatively indicate that older siblings have the capacity to acquire and apply dialogic reading skills if given appropriate instruction and support. These results illuminate opportunities to enhance SIBR techniques among siblings, underscoring the significant role older siblings in immigrant Latino families can play in providing enriched language input during SIBR.