Charting the Cs logo. Cooperation, Communication Collaboration. A black and blue text Charting the Cs Conference 2025: To Literacy and Beyond Cooperation Communication Collaboration Utilizing Caregivers To Facilitate Language and AAC Skills During Shared Reading Practices Wednesday, April 30 Whitney Mead, M.S., CCC - SLP , Assistant Professor and Clinical Supervisor Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University MOORHEAD logo Financial and Nonfinancial Disclosures Financial Disclosure •I am currently a salaried, full - time employee of Minnesota State University in Moorhead, MN (MSUM) •As a presenter at Charting the C’s my registration fee was waived Nonfinancial Disclosure •I am currently an employee of Minnesota State University Moorhead •I am currently an Ed.D. student at Minnesota State University Moorhead •I am a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association Additional Disclosures •Video examples will be utilized in this presentation that are property of Simucase (Copyright 2022 Simucase ®). I am not an employee of Simucase and I am not receiving any financial stipend for utilizing their videos. •MSUM does maintain a subscription with Simucase for educational purposes to utilize with our students. •If you are accessing this presentation at a different time you may not have access to the videos from Simucaseunless you have paid and subscribed. Who am I? •Assistant Professor and Clinical Supervisor at MSUM •ASHA certified SLP licensed in both MN and ND •10+ years experience working in pre - K through transition age school - based settings; clinical settings; and private practice •Areas of professional interest: oLanguage and literacy oAAC oTransition age Learning Objectives •Define and describe Shared Reading or Dialogic Reading •Identify some techniques or prompts of dialogic reading •Summarize the findings of current literature on the topic •Describe the process of planning a lesson that incorporates dialogic reading TURN AND REFLECT •What was your favorite childhood book? •If you have children in your life, do you have reading routines with them? On the right: Photo from Microsoft Stock Images Photo includes a black female young adult with a striped shirt and hair in ponytail reading a children’s book to a black child approximately 3 years old wearing a white t - shirt. Mother reading to child Background •Storybook reading has been an important and common practice of the childhood routine •Extensive research has shown the benefits of reading to children Including language and literacy development •Shared or “dialogic” reading by its process allows for language and literacy to be supported •This routine experience can be incorporated within the home and with AAC! Family members can even implement it! Types of Shared Book Reading Dialogic oInteractive reading oUses techniques to scaffold conversations between adult and child Shared reading using the book to target specific language skills oVocabulary oPhonological awareness What is Dialogic Reading (DR)? •Evidence - based intervention developed by Whitehurst et al. (1988) •Promotes active participation in shared reading •Encourages child to become the storyteller and the adult the active listener •Adult provides assistance as required to facilitate and expand the child’s language •Based on three principles: oEvocative techniques oInformative feedback oProgressive change Techniques and Prompts for DR PEER •Prompt •Evaluate •Expand •Repeat CROWD •Completion •Recall •Open - ended questions •WH questions •Distancing *modifications: allow pointing to illustrations or asking y/no questions (Hudson et al., 2017 as cited by Wilhelm & McGraw, 2023) RAAP •Read •Ask •Answer •Prompt Purpose of Current Literature Review •Determine what current literature says about the effectiveness of teaching caregivers to implement interactive reading strategies to facilitate language. •Determine what current literature says regarding the effectiveness of implementing interactive reading strategies with children who utilize AAC. Methods •Digital search using online databases oDatabases used: ComDisDome ; EbscoHost ; Psychinfo oSearch Terms used: “early literacy,” “storybook,” “shared reading,” “AAC,” ”parent,” “caregiver,” ”dialogic reading” •Additional articles obtained from reference sections of previously obtained articles Findings: Shared Reading and Language •Increases in length and complexity of language (Boyd, 1980; Whitehurst et al., 1988; Crain - Thoreson & Dale, 1999; Crowe, Norris, and Hoffman, 2004; Pollard-Durodolaet al., 2015) oBut why might DR have this impact? •Increases child directed speech with higher lexical and syntactic diversity (Noble et al., 2018) •Opportunities for expanding, recasting, and asking open - ended questions •Fosters high levels of joint attention and contingent talk and responsiveness •DR uses print references Which has positive impact on early literacy skills ( Piasta et al., 2012) •DR can positively impact other skills too (children < 5yrs) ( Pillinger & Vardy, 2022) oEnjoyment of reading oreading motivation oparent - child attachment oparental confidence oReducing stress •Not all research indicated a strong link: oNoble et al. (2019) meta - analysis found relatively small effect •Could be due to the low dosage used in studies analyzed (6 - 8 wks ) •More longitudinal research indicated positive relationship (Farrant & Zubrick, 2013) •But all tend to edge on the positive side! Can parents be taught these skills? YES! Findings: Teaching Caregivers •Parents can be taught these skills! oWhitehurst et al. (1988) oJustice & Ezell (2000) •Once trained, increase use of strategies too! oHammer (2016) oJustice & Ezell (200) •Kim & Riley (2021) assigned homework to parents utilizing DR oSignificant effects of homework on children’s language and literacy skills oTraining parents via staff was effective and time efficient •Caregiver coaching is a strategy used to improve the parents’ skills “Multiple studies have established the positive effects of coaching parents on the sues of language - based strategies during shared storybook reading interactions for children who are typically developing, at risk for language disorders, or have a diagnosed disorder” (Binger et al., 2008; Ortiz et al., 2001, Feil et al., 2020 as cited by Wence et al., 2024, p. 2) Previous research has shown that young children who use AAC are given less opportunities to participate in literacy learning and instruction. (McNamara, 2018; Yorke et al., 2021) Findings: Shared Reading & AAC •Recently, research explored “expansive literacy” (multimodal) •More limited research in this area for Complex Communicators ( Wence et al., 2024) •But research shows that positives come from it! oChild who used AAC increased word use and expressive vocabulary (Soto & Dukhovny , 2008) oIncreases vocabulary knowledge for students who use AAC (York et al., 2018) •Exposure to target words and provide links to illustrations oIncrease engagement, listening comprehension, and rate of communication (Quinn et al., 2020) •Toews et al. (2021) systematic review indicated shared reading has moderate evidence to promote: Comprehension, vocabulary, and emergent literacy skills for children with extensive support needs •Parents can also be taught these strategies too! Binger et al. (2008) demonstrated that parents taught aided AAC modeling during shared book reading can increase the child’s utterance length Clinical Implications •Shared book reading is a naturalistic routine — which are recommended for supporting young children with disabilities (Division for Early Childhood, 2014 as cited by Wence et al., 2024) •Teachers and caregivers can implement shared reading •Additional research is needed on the topic! So How Do We Do It? •Recommend a high dosage! (6 - 12 months or more) •Finding adapted age - appropriate texts! oIncreased picture support oRepetitive text •Pre - select vocabulary from text and feature during read aloud Prepare displays for participation in lesson ( Beukelman & Light, 2020) •Participate in print - referencing! Talking about or pointing to print within text (Justice, Kaderavek , Fan, Sofka , & Hunt, 2009 as cited by Piasta ) •Integrate time delay and prompting systems (most to least or least to most) •Expand and extend utterances •Model, model, model! •Allow for multimodal communication! •Training others: oObserve what they are already doing oIdentify strategies already used by caregivers to build off! oProvide opportunities to practice strategies with feedback Let’s see some examples – video 1 Simucase . (2025). Everett - Intervention Session using NovaChat 8. (Sponsored by Saltillo). https://videos.simucase.com/video/6075287199001 , accessed January 13, 2025. Copyright 2025 Simucase®, used by permission Let’s see some examples – video 2 Simucase . (2025). Everett - One Duck Stuck Story Read Aloud. (Sponsored by Saltillo). https://videos.simucase.com/video/6075285235001 , accessed January 13, 2025. Copyright 2025 Simucase®, used by permission Let’s see some examples – video 3 Simucase . (2025). Mia-Book Reading AAC Activity.https://videos.simucase.com/video/6307514012112 , accessed January 13, 2025. Copyright 2025 Simucase ®, used by permission Steps and Strategies for Shared Reading Instruction (Taken and adapted from Wilhelm & McGraw, 2023, p. 6) Step 1. Select Accessible Text 2. Identify Target Vocabulary 3. Used Shared Reading Strategies 4. Create opportunities for discussion Guiding Questions Is my text relevant and accessible to the reader? What are keys terms within the story? How will I engage my readers with the text? How will we talk about the story after reading? Expanding Literacy •Digital •Audio recordings •Videos •Interest and engagement? •Representative? •Look for repetition •Personally relevant terms •Visuals •DR strategies •Model •Build connections •Invite options •Visuals, prompts, scripts Let’s Practice Planning a Lesson! 1.Think of a hypothetical kiddo or maybe one that you already work with! Follow client confidentiality when discussing! 2.Grab a children’s book that I brought or find an accessible book online 3.Read through the book…is it accessible? Motivating? Relevant? 4.Note target vocabulary what will need to be on the device? 5.Re - read the story engaging with your group members utilizing DR strategies! 6.Reflect! oWhat was hard? oWhat would you do differently? References •Beukelman , D. R., & Light, J. C. (2020). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (5th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. •Binger, C., Kent - Walsh, J., Berens, J., Del Campo, S., & Rivera, D. (2008) Teaching Latino parents to support the multi - symbol message productions of their children who require AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 24(4), 323 - 338. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07434610802130978?needAccess=true •Boyd, M., Rachel, (1980), Language intervention for grade one children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 11(1), 30 - 40. •Crain - Thoreson, C., & Dale, P. S. (1999). Enhancing linguistic performance: Parents and teachers as book reading partners for children with language delays. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 19(1), 28 - 39. https://doi.org/10.1177/027112149901900103 •Crowe , L. K., Norris, J. A., & Hoffman, P. R. (2003). Training caregivers to facilitate communicative participation of preschool children with language impairment during storybook reading. Journal of Communication Disorders, 37, 177 - 196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2003.09.001 •Farrant, B. M., & Zubrick, S. R. (2013). Parent - child book reading across early childhood and child vocabulary in the early school years: Findings from the longitudinal study of Australian children. First Language, 33(3), 280 - 293. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723713487617 •Hammer, C. S., & Sawyer, B. (2016). Effects of a culturally responsive interactive book- reading intervention on the language abilities of preschool dual language learners: A pilot study. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 19(2). •Justice , L. M., & Ezell, H. K. (2000). Enhancing children’s print and word awareness through home - based parent intervention. American Journal of Speech - Language Pathology, 9(3), 257 - 269. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360.0903.257 •Kim, Y. & Riley, D. (2021). Accelerating early language and literacy skills through a preschool - home partnership using dialogic reading: A Randomized trial. Child & Youth Care Forum, 50, 901 - 924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09598-1 •McNamara, E. (2018). Bilingualism, augmentative and alternative communication and equity: Making a case for people with complex communication needs. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups SIG 12, 3(4), 1-8.https://doi.org/10.1044/persp3.SIG12.138 •Noble, C. H., Cameron - Faulkner, T., & Lieven, E. (2018). Keeping it simple: The grammatical properties of shared book reading. Journal of Child Language, 45, 753 - 766. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000917000447 •Noble , C., Sala, G., Peter, M., Lingwood , J., Rowland, C., Gobet , F., & Pine, J. (2019) The impact of shared book reading on children’s language skills: A meta - analysis. Educational Research Review, 28, 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100290 •Piasta , S. B., Justice, L. M., McGinty, A. S., & Kaderavek , J. N. (2012). Increasing young children’s contact with print during shared reading: Longitudinal effects on literacy achievement. Child Development, 83(3), 810 - 820. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467- 8624.2012.01754.x •Pillinger, C., & Vardy, E. J. (2022) The story so far: A systematic review of the dialogic reading literature. Journal of Research in Reading, 45, 533 – 548. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12407 . •Pollard - Durodola , S. D., Gonzalez, J. E., Saenz, L., Soares, D., Resendez, N., Kwok, O., & Zhu, L. (2016). The effects of content - related shared book reading on the language development of preschool dual language learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 36, 106 - 121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.12.004 •Quinn, E. D., Kaiser, A. P., & Ledford, J. R. (2020). Teaching preschoolers with Down syndrome using augmentative and alternative communication modeling during small group dialogic reading. American Journal of Speech - Language Pathology, 29, 80 - 100. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-0017 •Simucase . (2025). Everett - Intervention Session using NovaChat 8. (Sponsored by Saltillo). https://videos.simucase.com/video/6075287199001 , accessed January 13, 2025. •Simucase . (2025). Everett - One Duck Stuck Story Read Aloud. (Sponsored by Saltillo). https://videos.simucase.com/video/6075285235001 , accessed January 13, 2025. •Simucase . (2025). Mia-Book Reading AAC Activity.https://videos.simucase.com/video/6307514012112 , accessed January 13, 2025. •Soto , G., & Dukhovny , E. (2008). The effect of shared book reading on the acquisition of expressive vocabulary of a 7 year old who uses AAC. Seminars in Speech and Language, 29(2), 133 - 145. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1079127 •Toews, S. G., McQueston , J., & Kurth, J. A. (2021). Evaluation of the evidence base for shared reading to support literacy skill development for students with extensive support needs. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. 46(2), 77 - 93. https://doi.org/10.1177/15407969211008531 •Wence , B., Lorio , C., & Yacucci , A. (2024). Shared book reading experiences for young children who use augmentative and alternative communication systems. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 9, 1102 - 1118. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_PERSP-23-00230 •Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez- Menchaca, M. C., & Caulfield, M. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental psychology, 24(4), 552. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.24.4.552 •Wilhelm, A.M., & McGraw, M. L. (2023). Expanding shared reading: Integrating expansive literacy and translanguaging strategies to support multilingual learners who communicate using AAC. Inclusive Practices, 2(4): 101 - 109. https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745231210757 •Yorke, A. M., Caron, J. G., Pukys , N., Sternad , E., Grecol , C., & Shermak , C. (2021). Foundational reading interventions adapted for individuals who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): a Systematic review of the research. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 33, 537 - 582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882- 020-09767-5 •Yorke, A. M., Light, J. C., Caron, J. G., McNaughton, D. M., & Drager, K. D. R. (2018). The effects of explicit instruction in academic vocabulary during shared book reading on the receptive vocabulary of children with complex communication needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 34(4), 288 - 300. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2018.1506823 Charting the Cs logo Thank you!