Activity 6.

1a

Describe the dilemma

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-8-20

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Instructions
Watch the clip, Video 6.1: The teacher’s viewpoint. Then in your own words, describe the dilemma – the
particular challenge Tenisha, a preschool teacher, faces.
The teacher in the video is struggling with getting all her students involved and excited about
learning through read alouds. She finds that the students are having difficulty keeping their
attention on the story and are becoming restless. Many of her students are lacking expressive
language skills.

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Activity 6.2a

Turn the dilemma into an answerable question

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-7-20

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Instructions
Turn the dilemma about Tenisha’s storybook reading into an answerable question to help guide the search for
general evidence on a particular practice.
You can use a tool called PICO to help create a focused question that is answerable through research. PICO
identifies the most essential information needed for this question. This information consists of short phrases that
can be entered into a web-based search engine to find the best available research evidence on particular
practices such as partnership-oriented practices. PICO requires that you identify the following information to
develop the answerable question:
P – Person (characteristics of children who will receive the intervention or practices)
I – Interventions being considered
C – Comparison to other interventions (if there is research that compares two or more interventions)
O – Outcomes desired
Here is an example of an answerable question: For children like Luke, who have developmental delays (P), are
embedded interventions (I) effective in promoting learning in the areas of communication and social development
(O)?
Now identify the important information from the perspective you have just heard or read.
1. Describe Tenisha (For example- her classroom and her experiences with storybook reading)
Tenisha has been an early childhood teacher for awhile and is very passionate about
teaching. She understands the importance of literacy for the development of language in
young children. She has learned strategies to help her students learn to read and use
language. She loves learning ways to engage her students and is seeking out strategies to
help her with keeping her students actively engaged during storybook reading.

2. What are the goals you heard Tenisha state related to storybook reading?
1. Increase expressive language of her students
2. Provide additional literacy activities that support language development
3. Increase attention and engagement of her students during story time
4. Lear ways to provide read-alouds that are enjoyable and get students excited about
learning
5. Learn strategies to help gather information on her student’s engagement & assess learning

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Activity 6.2a

Putting the details into a chart may be helpful for you to identify the question:

P C
I O
Person Comparison
PICO Interventions Outcomes
to other interventions
(children who will
or practice(s) being (if there is research
receive the desired for children
considered that compares two or
intervention)
more interventions)

Using this type of

intervention and
Think about the age Think about the
engaging in these
of the children and reading practice
practices, what
Hints what type of Tenisha and you are NA
outcomes or skills
program are they learning about. What
does Tenisha want
in? is it called?
her children to
develop?

Develop the PICO

Using the hints above, fill in the responses to develop an answerable question.

P– When reading to young children in early care and education settings

I– The use of dialogue reading

C – (not applicable)

O – Effective in developing early and literacy skills

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Activity 6.2a

Write out the PICO

3. Write down the PICO, or answerable question, you have developed that will help guide your search for general
evidence on a particular practice.
When reading to young children in early care and educational settings, is the use of dialogue
reading effective in developing early language and literacy skills?

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Activity 6.3a

Apply the research to practice

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-7-20

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Instructions
Read Handout 6.1: Research Summary on Dialogic Reading. Be prepared to discuss the written responses to the
following questions.
1. In the five studies examined, what were the effects of dialogic reading on preschoolers’ oral language?
Three of the five studies showed statistically significant and positive effects of dialogic
reading on preschoolers’ oral language. The other two studies examined showed
indeterminate effects.
No discernible effects were found on phonological processing.

2. How relevant are the research findings to the context portrayed in the dilemma?
The research findings are relevant to the context portrayed in the dilemma because dialogic
reading can be use the teachers classroom to help with increasing attention and the oral
language of her students. The teacher can implement the dialogic reading strategy in her
class by reading texts several times with her students and by interacting with them through
prompts and questions at different levels. The dialogic reading process will encourage
dialogue with her students around the text she is reading. By involving her students in
interactive dialogue the children will become active listeners an contributors. The teacher can
ask questions to help her students engage more interactively and explore the text at a deeper
level, including defining words and building their vocabulary. The research has found
dialogical reading as a valuable tool for developing literacy skills and improving oral language

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Activity 6.3a

Watch Video 6.2: Dr. Christopher Lonigan: Research on Dialogic Reading

3. What does Dr. Lonigan say happens when children are exposed to dialogic reading?

Dr. Lonigan says that when children are exposed to shared reading using dialogue reading,
that they acquire greater levels of development in their vocabulary and in other aspects of
language. Also, children who are exposed to shared reading with dialogic reading gain more
vocabulary skills and language skills than children who are not exposed to dialogic reading.
How children are exposed to storybooks is what makes the difference. He also says that the
purpose of dialogic reading is to help children learn vocabulary and language skills. illogic
reading is a flexible reading method that should be fun and be used as a way to foster
conversations.

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Activity 6.4a

Learning how to select a book

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-7-20

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Instructions
1. Review and read Handout 6.2: Book Selection for Dialogic Reading.
2. Select a book to review.
Using the chart in Handout 6.2, list the guidelines that apply to the book you selected and explain how they apply.
Appealing & Appropriate- The story is a sweet Textappealing story about a little boy overcoming his
fears. It also is appropriate bc it shows determination and a loving father who is encouraging &
patient.
Alphabet Knowledge (and early writing)- letters are represented in different forms, sizes, and
fonts to encourage excitement. Font is exaggerated to show excitement when Jabari jumps in
the water. Also, font is enlarged and different colors are used. Comprehension-The reader can
have students predict what will happen next based on the pictures and have them comment on
the illustrations. When Jabari is standing at the bottom of the ladder- the students can predict if
he will go up. The illustrations of the pool and the characters are realistic. Questions can be
asked about Jabari’s feeling an experience throughout the book. Sequencing of the events in
the story can be used after read aloud. The main topic of trying something new allows many
discussion opportunities. Dialogue or Interaction-Discussions about going to a pool, going off a
diving board, feeling anxious can all be used for discussion & interactions

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Activity 6.5a

Preparing a book for dialogic reading

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-7-20

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Instructions
1. Watch Video 6.4: Dr. Christopher Lonigan: Using CROWD Prompts. Dr. Lonigan says one way you can
use the CROWD prompts are by thinking about them in levels. What are the three levels that Dr. Lonigan
mentions?
The first level of dialogic being in the “w-h” type questions- What is this? What’s it called?
What’s it made of? What is he doing?
The second level is moving beyond vocabulary. It’s using the language to way to really tell the
story. It gives a child ownership of what it is that they are going to tell about the book of what
they’re going to tell about the story. It helps children use language to tell about story. It lets the
student choose what they are going to talk or elaborate on.
The third phase of dialogic reading is where teachers will connect what’s going on in the book
either things in the book or something about the story to something in the child’s a life or
maybe connect in the end of the book with the beginning of the book. It helps with building up a
narrative about the book. And also sequencing is involved the child connect to the story.

2. View Handout 6.3: CROWD Strategy Planning Sheet. See next page.
3. Watch Video 6.5: Preparing a book for dialogic reading and Video 6.6: Demonstration of how to use
CROWD prompts.
4. Select a book that you could use for dialogic reading with a group of children.
5. Look through the book, and complete Handout 6.3: CROWD Strategy Planning Sheet to prepare
CROWD prompts for dialogic reading.
6. Then, transfer the questions you developed on Handout 6.3 on to sticky notes and place them on the
correct pages in the book.

Hints

CONNECT would like to acknowledge Dr. Christie Cavanaugh for her contribution to the development of this
activity.

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Handout 6.3

CROWD Strategy Planning Sheet

Title: Jabari Jumps

Author: Gaia Cornwell Illustrator: Gaia Cornwell

Create at least 2 prompts for each category for your book that you can use to prompt and
build upon children’s language during dialogic reading. Include the page number that
corresponds to the appropriate opportunity to use each prompt.

Completion- The reader creates an incomplete sentence to prompt the children to come up
with the appropriate response (i.e. fill-in-the-blank). (Ex: Lily’s purse is ______ and she
brings it ______).
Jabari’s jump was____ and his splash was _____! pg.23
Jabari took a deep ____ and filled his ____. pg.15

Recall- The reader asks a question designed to help children remember key elements of the
story. (Ex: What happened when Jose went back to school? What was missing from
Corduroy’s overalls? How did Stephanie wear her hair?)
What did Jabari do first at the pool (that helped him feel ready to jump)? pg. 2
What did Jabari do as he stood at the bottom of the ladder? pg.7

Open-ended- The reader asks a question or makes a statement that requires children to
describe part of the story in their own words beyond just a “yes” or “no” response. (Ex: Tell
me what you think is happening in this picture. How is Josie going to carry all of those
apples?)
Tell me what is happening in this picture. pg.5
What is Jabari doing with his body in this illustration? pg.11

Wh-questions- The reader asks a question about the story that begins with what, where,
who, or why. (Ex: What do you think shy means? What does it mean to be embarrassed?)
Why do you think Jabari squeezed his father’s hand? What do you think will happen next?
pg.5
Why do you think Jabari told his dad he was “just a little tired”? pg. 9
Distancing- The reader helps children make connections between events that happen in the
story to those that occur in their own lives. (Ex: Tell me about a time when you felt lost or you
lost something. How did you feel when your friend moved away?)
Have you ever felt frightened to try something? pg.14
Have you ever tried something new that was a little bit scary but ended up loving it? pg.27

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Activity 6.8a

3. Listen to Audio 6.3: Cristina Gillanders. What are the three things you should think about when planning your
read aloud with young dual language learners?
1.what kind of strategies you’re going to use in order for your dual language learners to
understand what the content of the book is about, what the text is about
2. What words and phrases you intentionally want to teach through the reading aloud strategy
3. How the dual language learners are going to participate in the reading aloud session. How
are you going to engage them during read alouds. You have to think about what other for,s of
engagement you can use for esl students to participate in the story

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Activity 6.9a

Consider the unique contexts

Name Nicole Morris Date 9-7-20

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Instructions
Listen to or read the perspective on Tenisha’s situation: Audio 6.4: Tenisha's perspective. You can also refer back
to Video 6.1: The teacher’s viewpoint for more information on Tenisha’s situation.

1. Program context – What are the characteristics of the pre-K program? What are the attitudes and beliefs of
Tenisha?
Tanisha believes that offering story book readings throughout the day is very important. She
also realizes that read aloud’s can take place throughout the day and help foster language
and literacy development. Using dialogic reading has helped her with getting children
involved and engaged during story time. She continually looks forward to learning new
strategies and building her competencies, so she can best support the diverse learners in her
class. Tanisha is excited to see her student excited about learning and enjoys being a part of
the process and a part of their learning success.

2. What are some particular concerns Tenisha has about read alouds with her children in the class?
She is concerned about how to incorporate dialogic reading into every part of her curriculum
and how to use specific strategies on a regular basis. She is unsure how to build read alouds
into every part of her curricula and how it would look if she did. She is concerned about her
ESL students and meeting the needs of her students who struggle during read alouds.
Meeting the needs and supporting all the ranges of abilities in her class also poses a concern
for Tanisha.

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 Activity 6.9a

3. What is your perspective on Tenisha’s situation? Thinking about your own classroom context and the read
alouds you have done, how would dialogic reading practices fit with the children in your class? What is your
classroom context? How would these practices fold into your teaching strategies?

I think using dialogic reading will help Tanisha’s situation with actively engaging her students
and also using props/visuals of some sort will help with engaging her in ESL students. Using
this strategy will also help increase her students vocabulary which will help increase their
interactions during read alouds and with each other. I feel that I currently use many of the
strategies disscused in this module. I usually preread my read alouds and put questions that I
would like to ask and vocabulary and definitions that I would like to focus on on post its notes.
I would like to increase the use of this strategy and use the guideline provided for dialogic
reading for my reading practices. I would also like to work towards folding these practices in
my readings that I do across the different content areas I teach.

Hints

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