Engaging Early Head Start parents in a collaborative inquiry: the co-construction of Little Talks

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to develop a book sharing intervention to support the language development of infants and toddlers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Low-income parents were engaged in a collaborative inquiry to develop ‘Little Talks’. Parents were assigned to three small groups that independently participated in intervention iterations. Iterations were sequenced so that qualitative data collected during the preceding iteration were analysed to inform modifications to refine the subsequent intervention. Book sharing interventions were administered through eight home visits by members of the research team. Starting with Dialogic Reading, qualitative data highlighted needs to produce an intervention that met a range of parental preferences and that was flexible in meeting parents’ readiness to acquire new strategies. Little Talks emerged as an intervention that fostered multiple approaches to book sharing by forming and delivering book sharing strategies according to parents’ preferences and needs.

KEYWORDS:

• Participatory intervention development
• cultural specificity
• book sharing
• children’s vocabulary
• home visiting

Notes on contributors

Dr. Patricia Manz is an Associate Professor of School Psychology at Lehigh University. She has formulated an applied research programme focused on promoting development and health among young children who experience socioeconomic disadvantage.

Dr. Manz's research is contextually focused, seeking to strengthen both early intervention services and parents' involvement with their children as the means for supporting children's development.

Dr. Rachel Eisenberg is a postdoctoral fellow at the Devereux Center for Effective Schools. Her applied research interests focus on promoting parents' involvement behaviours that support child development, while enhancing culturally responsive services for families within underserved communities.

Dr. Amanda Gernhart is an practicing school psychologist and director of treatment for partial hospitalization programs at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21. Dr. Gernhart is a recent graduate from Lehigh University's school psychology program with a specialization in pediatric health. Research interests include the influence of maternal mental health on early child development and programming supports to foster healthy parent–child interactions.

Jacqueline Faison, M.Ed., is an advanced doctoral student in School Psychology at Lehigh University. She is currently completing her pre-doctoral internship at Fraser Child and Family Center where she works with evauation teams and provides therapeutic interventions. Jacqueline's research interests include early childhood development and culturally responsive practice.

Seth Laracy, M. Ed., is a doctoral candidate in school psychology at Lehigh University. His research and professional interests focus on practices that can promote resilience among high-risk populations.

Tamique Ridgard, M.Ed., is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at Lehigh University. Her primary area of interest includes improving service delivery for young children and families from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds living in poverty through the development of integrated systems of care and culturally responsive prevention and intervention programs.

Trevor Pinho, M.Ed., is a doctoral candidate in Lehigh University's school psychology program. He has applied interests working in school-based mental health and prevention. In addition to research related to these topics, his research interests include understanding how societal forces influence the development of children and adolescents.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Lehigh University.