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Kucirkova, Natalia
(2011).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000f209
Abstract
This study aimed to compare parents’ and children’s engagement during shared book reading of a personalised, non-personalised and a favourite book. A within-subjects comparison of seven native English parents and their children aged between 12 and 33 months was performed, with a multi-method design in order to cross-validate the findings.
Data from parents’ questionnaire reports, interviews and field notes, indicated high levels of children’s engagement with the personalised books. Video observations showed higher specific engagement levels for children when comparing the personalised with nonpersonalised book and for parents also with the child’s favourite book. There was most correspondence between parents’ and children’s engagement in the personalised book condition.
The results suggest that personalised books foster a joint, specific engagement in parents and children and this is probably due to the personal information they contain. A multimethod assessment proved to be an effective technique to adequately address the multifaceted nature of parents’ and children’s engagement in sharing different types of books.