The effect of activity with e-book on vocabulary and story comprehension: a comparison between kindergarteners at risk of learning disabilities and typically developing kindergarteners

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of e-book activity for vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension among kindergarteners at risk for learning disabilities (LD) as opposed to typically developing (TD) children. Participants included 136 children aged between five and seven (M = 71.2; SD = 5.64, in months), 75 LD and 60 typically developing children. The children in each group were then randomly assigned to either the e-book intervention or the control group, which experienced the regular kindergarten program – a total of four groups. The findings indicated significant improvement in vocabulary among both groups exposed to the e-book intervention. Conversely, typically developing children received higher scores for story comprehension than did children at risk for LD following the intervention. These findings and their implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• vocabulary
• story comprehension
• electronic books
• preschoolers at risk for LD