The Effectiveness of Explicit Storybook Comprehension Instruction for Improving Preschool Children’s Narrative Comprehension Skills

Abstract

While shared book reading has often been used to foster children’s language and literacy development (Pentimonti, Justice, & Piasta, 2013), there is limited research concerning specific instructional strategies that can be embedded during shared book reading to facilitate children’s story comprehension abilities. To close this gap, the present study examined the effectiveness of implementing explicit storybook comprehension instruction in a single-case study with seven preschool-age participants. Using a combined repeated acquisition and multiple-baseline design (e.g., Kennedy, 2005), the study assessed narrative comprehension growth via mastery monitoring and progress monitoring measures (i.e., Assessment of Comprehension and Preschool Early Literacy Indicators). All seven participants demonstrated comprehension growth as a result of the intervention. Large effect sizes were found. Implications for employing a Tier 2 supplemental comprehension intervention within a Multi-Tiered System of Support are discussed.