Repeated Book Reading and Preschoolers’ Early Literacy Development

The effects of repeated book reading on children’s early literacy and language development were examined in this meta-analysis of 16 studies including 466 child participants. Results indicated that repeated book reading influenced both story-related vocabulary and story-related comprehension. Findings also showed that the adults’ use of manipulatives or illustrations related to the story, positive reinforcement of children’s comments, explanation concerning the story when asked, and open-ended questions to prompt child verbal responses were associated with positive child outcomes. Implications for practice are described.