Teaching for text comprehension: Supporting young second-language learners’ text comprehension in urban multiethnic preschools in Norway (PreComp) (completed)

Although we know that the competencies (e.g. oral language skills) young children develop during the preschool years are of major importance for their reading comprehension and academic success in school, little is known about how preschools may prepare children for their future learning and text comprehension.

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About the project

Particularly, there is a dearth of research on how to effectively enhance the emergent literacy growth of bilingual learners in preschool. The present project aims to fill this void - building on a conceptual model that considers bilingual text comprehension as a multidimensional and dynamic construct.

The project has two primary objectives

To determine the immediate and long term effects of a shared book reading intervention designed to enhance bilingual learners` comprehension of text.
To explore the growth of different language skills hypothesized to affect text comprehension and their relative role in predicting text comprehension.

The project also has two secondary objectives

To develop knowledge with implications for professional development addressing how preschool teachers may aid in preparing bilingual learners for future learning and text comprehension.
To disseminate the knowledge gained from the project to the research community, policy makers, educators and parents.

Project leadership

Professor Vibeke Grøver, Department of Education, University of Oslo
Dr. Veslemøy Rydland, Department of Education, University of Oslo

Advisory group

Lill-Kristin Mørch
Marianne Lindvær
Sigrunn Skretting
Carina Heiman
Merete Andersen
Eirill Mathisen

Research partners

Professor Catherine Snow, Harvard University
Professor Paul Leseman, Utrecht University
Professor Francisco Pons, Department of Psycholgy, University of Oslo

National collaborators

The Deichmanske Library, Oslo
Preschools in the greater Oslo area
The Faculty of Humanities and Education at Vestfold University College

Grøver, Vibeke; Gustafsson, Jan-Eric; Rydland, Veslemøy & Snow, Catherine (2024). Are There Sustained Effects of a Preschool Shared-Reading Intervention Addressing Dual Language Learners? Scientific Studies of Reading. ISSN 1088-8438. doi: 10.1080/10888438.2024.2335925. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Purpose Previous research has demonstrated that immediate effects of language interventions tend to fade, but has also suggested that differentiating language skill types may be essential for understanding fade-out processes. This paper examines the longer-term effects of participating in a shared-reading intervention. Method The study included 464 dual-language learners (DLLs) (49.6% girls) in Norway with a mean age of 52.60 months when the intervention started. They were randomly assigned to an intervention condition receiving a shared-reading program in preschool and at home or a business-as-usual control condition. The children spoke a number of first languages and were second-language speakers of Norwegian. Children’s second-language skills were assessed seven months following the completion of the intervention. We asked whether the developmental advantages induced during the intervention faded or remained when the intervention conditions were no longer present, using autoregressive structural modelling and second-order latent growth modelling to answer the question. Results While some immediate intervention effects disappeared (grammar) or showed tendencies to fade (vocabulary and perspective taking), second-order latent growth modelling suggested that narrative skills emerged. Conclusion The results demonstrate the need to consider skill type in future research on fade-out and offer a longer-term perspective on how DLLs respond to shared-reading interventions.
Kucherenko, Svitlana; Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2024). Dual-language Learners’ Questions and Teacher Responses in Shared Reading in Preschool. Early Childhood Education Journal. ISSN 1082-3301. doi: 10.1007/s10643-023-01624-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The current study used sequential analysis to examine dual-language learners’ (DLLs) questions and their relations to teacher responses in the context of small-group shared reading in preschool. Participants were 235 DLLs aged 3–5 years and 60 lead teachers from multiethnic preschool classrooms in Norway. Results showed that across four different books, children most often asked information-seeking questions (61–79%). Furthermore, children asked comprehension- and explanation-seeking questions more often than factseeking ones. Sequential analysis showed that the quality of teacher responses was highly dependent on the type of questions DLLs asked: preschool teachers consistently offered more extended and explanatory responses to DLLs’ comprehension- and explanation-seeking questions, compared to other types of questions. Our results suggest that in this way, children actively influence the extended talk they are exposed to during shared reading. Moreover, their questions offer possibilities for further back-and-forth exchanges about topics meaningful to DLLs.
Nomat, Dilman; Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2024). Code-Switching During Shared Reading. In Erstad, Ola Andres; Hagtvet, Ragna Bente & Wertsch, James V. (Ed.), Education and Dialogue in Polarized Societies. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780197605424. Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2023). Parent inferential questions and child responses during shared reading predict DLLs’ receptive vocabulary development. Journal of Early Childhood Research. ISSN 1476-718X. doi: 10.1177/1476718X231210637. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The present study investigated whether parent–child interactions during shared reading in a diverse sample of 91 three- to five-year-old dual language learners (DLLs) in Norway supported the development of the children’s first (L1) and second language (L2) vocabulary skills. The dyads spoke 11 different L1s (i.e., Arabic, Polish, Somali, and Urdu). The analysis of shared reading was based on predefined story elements in the book, and differentiated between whether central story elements were introduced as parent inferential questions and child responses, or as parent and child narrative statements. The children’s L1 and L2 receptive vocabulary skills were assessed prior to the reading as well as 8months later. Regression analyses revealed that parent inferential questions predicted children’s L1 vocabulary development across the time-period. Child responses to adult inferential questions predicted their L1 and L2 vocabulary development. These findings support the growing research base that emphasizes the importance of eliciting child reasoning during shared reading.
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy; Gustafsson, Jan-Eric & Snow, Catherine (2022). Do teacher talk features mediate the effects of shared reading on preschool children's second-language development? Early Childhood Research Quarterly. ISSN 0885-2006. 61, p. 118–131. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.06.002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This study examined whether a shared reading intervention in preschools serving multilingual populations in Norway had effects on teacher talk quality and whether these effects mediated child second-language outcomes. Four hundred sixty-four children aged 3–5 years participated. They attended 123 classrooms that were randomly assigned to a shared-reading intervention condition or a comparison condition. The children's second-language vocabulary and grammar skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention, with 7.4 months between the 2 assessments. We asked whether the intervention affected qualities of teacher talk hypothesized to impact children's language, and whether identified changes in teacher talk mediated child second-language vocabulary and grammar outcomes. Results revealed that by the end of the school year teachers in the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher quality in their talk during shared reading, assessed as diversity of word types, use of word explanations and ratio of multi-clause utterances. These differences in teacher talk quality explained variance in children's second-language vocabulary outcomes by the end of the intervention year, but not in their second-language syntactic comprehension.
Kucherenko, Svitlana; Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2022). Bilinguals Contingently Respond to Teacher Inferential Questions during Shared Reading in Preschool. Early Education and Development. ISSN 1040-9289. p. 1–17. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2109393. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Research Findings: This study used sequential analysis to investigate teachers’ use of literal and inferential questions and their relation to children’s responses during small-group shared reading in preschool. Participants were 202 dual-language learners (age 3–5 years) and 53 preschool teachers in multiethnic preschool classrooms in Norway. Teacher questions and child responses were coded for their inferential level, ranging from lower-order literal to higher-order inferential levels. Sequential analysis was employed to examine in which ways dual-language learners aligned their responses with the level of the preschool teachers’ questions. We found that teacher questions were highly likely to elicit child responses on the same level, with higher-order inferential questions consistently followed by higher-order inferential child responses. Practice or Policy: The results suggest that preschool teachers can use not only literal but also more challenging inferential questions with dual-language learners and in this way, actively engage them in complex inferential talk during shared reading.
Bubikova-Moan, Jarmila & Grøver, Vibeke (2021). Skolens samarbeid med foreldre til minoritetsspråklige barn i begynneropplæringen - refleksjoner over muligheter og utfordringer. In Grøver, Vibeke & Bråten, Ivar (Ed.), Leseforståelse i skolen: Utfordringer og muligheter.. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202650063. p. 46–58. Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2020). Language use, home literacy environment, and demography: Predicting vocabulary skills among diverse young dual language learners in Norway. Journal of Child Language. ISSN 0305-0009. doi: 10.1017/S0305000920000495. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
From a socio-cultural perspective, language offers a means for children to communicate with and learn from others through interaction: language is the medium through which young children are provided cognitive, social, and emotional support in interactions with caregivers, siblings, and peers; and children characterized as dual language learners (DLLs) have in common that they receive this developmental support in two different languages. However, due to variations in socioeconomic factors, ethnic/immigration background, and language socialization practices, DLLs display considerable variability in their first- and second-language proficiency (McCabe, Tamis-LeMonda, Bornstein, Cates, Golinkoff, Guerra, Hirsh-Pasek, Hoff, Kuchirko, Melzi, Mendelsohn, Páez & Song, 2013).
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy; Gustafsson, Jan-Eric & Snow, Catherine E. (2020). Shared Book Reading in Preschool Supports Bilingual Children’s Second‐Language Learning: A Cluster‐Randomized Trial. Child Development. ISSN 0009-3920. 91, p. 2192–2210. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13348. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This cluster‐randomized controlled study examined dual language learners (DLLs) in Norway who received a book‐based language intervention program. About 464 DLLs aged 3–5 years in 123 early childhood classrooms participated in the study. The children were acquiring Norwegian as their second language in preschool and spoke a variety of first languages at home. They received a researcher‐developed intervention that was organized around loosely scripted, content‐rich shared reading in school and at home. Receiving the intervention had significant impacts on the children’s second‐language skills (effect sizes of d = .25–.66). In addition to supporting second‐language vocabulary and grammar, the program with its focus on perspective taking during shared reading resulted in impacts on children’s ability to shift perspectives and understand others’ emotional states.
Rasmussen, Ingvill; Amundrud, Anja Skrepstad & Ludvigsen, Sten Runar (2019). Establishing and maintaining joint attention in classroom dialogues: Digital technology, microblogging and ground rules. In Mercer, Neil; Wegerif, Rupert & Major, Louis (Ed.), The Routledge International Handbook of Research on Dialogic Education. Routledge. ISSN 9780429441677. p. 410–423. doi: 10.4324/9780429441677. Full text in Research Archive
Amundrud, Anja Skrepstad & Rasmussen, Ingvill (2019). Embedding Microblogging Technology to Support Classroom Dialogue. In Lund, Kristine; Niccolai, G; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; Gweon, G & Baker, Michael J. (Ed.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings, 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2019, Volume 1. International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS). ISSN 9781732467231. p. 648–652. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
It’s crucial for teachers to support the development of students’ dialogic skills. Such skills refer to the students’ use of language as a tool to enable understanding of each other’s knowledge, which creates the possibility of constructing new knowledge together. Digital technology in classroom activities can support this form of dialogue, but it must be embedded into a classroom’s complex ecosystem to be beneficial. This paper explores how a group of seventh grade students were taught dialogic skills through the integration of microblogging in the classroom. The data analysed consists of video from the classroom, and the study is grounded in sociocultural theory. Findings suggest that integrating microblogging in classroom activities increased participation and made students’ contributions more visible, thus creating the opportunity for students to build on each other’s knowledge. However, this is dependent on the teachers’ facilitation of the activities.
Grøver, Vibeke; Uccelli, Paola; Rowe, Meredith & Lieven, Elena (2019). Learning through Language. In Grøver, Vibeke; Uccelli, Paola; Rowe, Meredith & Lieven, Elena (Ed.), Learning through Language. Towards an Educationally Informed Theory of Language Learning.. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 9781107169357. p. 1–15. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2019). Young Bilinguals' Extended Discourse Skills: The Role of Perspective Taking. In Grøver, Vibeke; Uccelli, Paola; Rowe, Meredith & Lieven, Elena (Ed.), Learning through Language. Towards an Educationally Informed Theory of Language Learning.. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 9781107169357. p. 179–191. doi: 10.1017/9781316718537.017. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2017). Fostering vocabulary in early childhood education. In Kucirkova, Natalia; Snow, Catherine E.; Grøver, Vibeke & McBride, Catherine (Ed.), The Routledge International Handbook of Early Literacy Education. A Contemporary Guide to Literacy Teaching and Interventions in a Global Context.. Routledge. ISSN 9781138787889. p. 284–295. doi: 10.4324/9781315766027-26. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2016). Implementing interventions: Building a shared understanding of why. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development. ISSN 1520-3247. 2016(154), p. 109–112. doi: 10.1002/cad. Full text in Research Archive

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Grøver, Vibeke & Bråten, Ivar (2021). Leseforståelse i skolen: Utfordringer og muligheter. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202650063. 255 p. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2018). Å lære språk i barnehagen. Kvaliteter ved barns samhandling med voksne og jevnaldrende som fremmer språklæring. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202422202. 194 p. Full text in Research Archive
Kucirkova, Natalia; Snow, Catherine E.; Grøver, Vibeke & McBride, Catherine (2017). The Routledge International Handbook of Early Literacy Education. A Contemporary Guide to Literacy Teaching and Interventions in a Global Context. Routledge. ISBN 9781138787889. 391 p. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

Kucherenko, Svitlana; Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2019). Book sharing with young dual language learners in preschool. Full text in Research Archive
Amundrud, Anja Skrepstad & Smørdal, Ole (2019). Developing Educational Technologies: The continuous Improvement of Talkwall. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2019). Supporting dual language learning through collaboration between parents and teachers in early childhood education. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy; Garmann, Nina Gram; Tkachenko, Elena; Romøren, Anna Sara Hexeberg & Høglind, Hanne [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Å vokse opp med flere språk: Språklæring i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
Amundrud, Anja Skrepstad (2018). Multi-modelling dialogic skills: The use of multiple resources to support classroom dialogue. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2018). Minoritetsspråklige barn i barnehagen - i et nordisk perspektiv. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2018). Hvilke samtaleerfaringer i barnehagen understøtter andrespråklæring og hvorfor er slike erfaringer viktige i et langsiktig språklæringsperspektiv? Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2017). Book-based interventions support young emergent bilinguals' narrative skills. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2016). Text-talk in preschool supports young emergent bilinguals' vocabulary learning. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2016). Språklæring og tekstforståelse i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2016). Språklæring og tekstforståelse - hva kan barnehagen gjøre for å støtte tospråklige barns språklige læring? Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2016). Language learning and text comprehension in language minority children - the Oslo study. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2016). Språklæring og tekstforståelse i barnehagen - de første resultatene. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy; Kucherenko, Svitlana & Sandøy, Mari Hustad (2016). Enhancing vocabulary development in young bilingual learners through text talk in school and at home. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2015). Språklæring og tekstforståelse i barnehagen - en studie av tospråklige barn. Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2015). Bilingual children's vocabulary development from preschool to fifth grade: the mpact of amount versus diversity of talk exposure. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2015). Hva er randomiserte kontrollerte forsøk og hva skal til for å lykkes? Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2015). Trust in text in children who do not receive reading instruction until age 6: Results from a Norwegian sample. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy; Cekaite, Asta & Aronsson, Karin (2014). Interlocutor awareness in young second-language learners' peer talk. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2014). Bilingual children's second-language vocabulary learning in preschool: the impact of teacher and peer talk. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2014). Young language minority children's language learning and textcomprehension. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2014). Randomiserte, kontrollerte intervensjonsstudier. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2013). Young language-minority children's participation in preschool talk: long-term implications? Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy & Lawrence, Joshua F. (2013). Second-language vocabulary trajectories from age five to ten: the role of preschool talk quality. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke; Rydland, Veslemøy & Lawrence, Joshua (2013). Who benefits from a rich language environment in preschool: a study of bilingual children. Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lawrence, Joshua (2013). Learning a Second Language in Preschool: Children With High First-Language Skills Benefit More From Rich Second-Language Exposure. Full text in Research Archive
Rydland, Veslemøy & Grøver, Vibeke (2013). The long-term impact of preschool dialogues for Turkish immigrant children‘s Norwegian vocabulary. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2013). Second-language Speakers in Scandinavian Early Childhood Education. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2013). Young Immigrant Children’s Language Learning and Text Comprehension in Norway: Using an Observation-based Longitudinal Study to Outline a Randomized Controlled Intervention Study. Full text in Research Archive
Grøver, Vibeke (2013). Young Immigrant Children’s Vocabulary Trajectories from Preschool to School: Lessons from Scandinavia. Full text in Research Archive