Early Literacy Developmental Activities and Pre-Kindergarten Learning Skills in the Context of Childhood Adversity.

OBJECTIVE: School readiness (SR) encompasses a wide range of skills that affect children's ability to succeed in school and later in life. Shared reading is an important strategy that assists children in gaining SR skills, whereas adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect a child's SR. This study assessed if early literacy developmental activities (shared reading, singing, or storytelling) were associated with improved SR among children with and without ACEs. METHODS: 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health data were used for analysis. We identified children aged 3-5 years to assess their exposure to ACEs, participation in reading/storytelling/singing, and overall SR. RESULTS: In a sample of 17,545 children, 29% of children were exposed to one or more ACEs. Seventy-seven percent of children with no ACEs received daily early literacy developmental activities compared to 23% of children who experienced any ACE. On ordinal logistic regression, daily early literacy developmental activities were associated with 56% greater odds of higher SR among children not exposed to ACEs (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.29, 1.88; P < .01). Among children exposed to ACEs, daily early literacy developmental activities were also associated with higher SR (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.13; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Shared reading, storytelling, and singing are associated with improved SR in both children who have and have not been exposed to ACEs. However, children exposed to ACEs had fewer experiences with early literacy developmental activities. Future efforts should address the barriers that limit shared reading, singing, or storytelling for children exposed to ACEs.

Beliefs and Motivations Regarding Early Shared Reading of Parents From Low-Income Households: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Parent-child "shared" reading is a catalyst for development of language and other emergent literacy skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents initiate shared reading as soon as possible after birth. Persistent disparities exist in reading resources, routines, and subsequent literacy outcomes, disproportionately impacting low-income households. We sought to understand beliefs, motivations, and experiences regarding shared reading during early infancy among parents from low-income households. METHODS: In this qualitative exploratory study, parents of infants aged 0 to 9 months from low-income households who had initiated shared reading ("readers") and those who had not ("nonreaders") were purposefully recruited to participate in individual semistructured virtual interviews. These interviews were coded using inductive thematic analysis by a 3-member team with diverse backgrounds. RESULTS: A total of 21 parents participated (57% readers, 86% mothers). Infants were 86% African American/Black, with a mean age of 3 months. Barriers noted by readers and nonreaders were i) competing demands on time, ii) lack of resources, and iii) parental mental health. An additional barrier noted solely by nonreaders was iv) it's too early/baby is not ready. Two benefits of reading were noted by both groups: 1) parents as child's first teachers and 2) reading catalyzes the child's development. Benefits noted exclusively by readers included 3) reading begets more reading, 4) bonding, 5) "it works," and 6) "two-for-one" shared reading (other children involved). CONCLUSIONS: This study provided insights into barriers and benefits regarding shared reading by socioeconomically disadvantaged parents of infants and has the potential to inform reading-related guidance and interventions.

Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study of a Primary Care-Based Intervention Promoting Shared Reading During Infancy.

Parent-child "shared" reading can be a rich source of language exposure. Clinic-based programs, notably Reach Out and Read (ROR), are intended to enhance this. However, ROR has been traditionally introduced at 6 months and only recently expanded to younger ages. This study explored efficacy of an intervention delivered during pediatric well visits promoting shared reading prior to 6 months old, in terms of home reading attitudes and routines. The intervention group received children's books and anticipatory guidance about benefits of shared reading, whereas the control group received general age-related anticipatory guidance. Surveys were administered at the child's newborn (pre-intervention) and 6-month (post-intervention) well visits. Significant findings at 6 months included more frequent shared reading (P = .03), greater comfort reading at this age (P = .01), and greater importance attributed to shared reading (P = .04) in the intervention group relative to controls. These support the expansion of early literacy interventions such as ROR into early infancy.

Shared Reading and Risk of Social-Emotional Problems.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends literacy promotion as well as routine developmental surveillance during well-child visits to improve academic, relational, and health outcomes. In this study, we examined the possible association between shared reading and social-emotional problems among young children. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of longitudinal records for children aged 30 to 66 months presenting for visits to an academic pediatric primary care center between July 1, 2013, and February 1, 2019. The outcome was evidence of social-emotional problems, defined by an Ages and Stages: Social Emotional Questionnaire (ASQ:SE) score above the established cutoff. The predictor was caregiver-reported frequency of shared reading (most = 5-7 days per week, some = 2-4 days per week, rarely = 0-1 days per week) at a previous visit. Generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association between the longitudinal outcome and predictor, adjusting for child demographics and needs reported on routine social history questionnaires. RESULTS: Analyses included 5693 children who completed at least 1 ASQ:SE (total of 7302 assessments) and had shared reading frequency documented before each ASQ:SE assessment. Children were predominantly Black (75%) and publicly insured (80%). Sixteen percent of ASQ:SE scores were suggestive of social-emotional concerns; 6% of caregivers reported sharing reading rarely. Children with rare shared reading had a higher risk of an ASQ:SE above cutoff compared with those with shared reading on most days (adjusted risk ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-1.92). CONCLUSIONS: Less-frequent caregiver-reported shared reading was associated with higher risk of social-emotional problems in young children presenting for primary care. This highlights potential relational and social-emotional benefits of shared reading.