Moderating role of reading comprehension in children's word learning with context versus pictures.

We investigated pictorial versus contextual support effects over and above teaching of definitions on children's word learning and retention as well as the moderating role of reading comprehension. In a between‐subject pre‐post‐retention test control group design, Dutch fourth graders learned concre...

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Published in:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 29 - 46
Main Authors: Gruhn, Sophie, Segers, Eliane, Verhoeven, Ludo
Format: pictorial research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Feb2020
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Feb2020
      vid: 36
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jcal.12387
        141167012
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        atl: Moderating role of reading comprehension in children's word learning with context versus pictures.
      aug:
        au:
          Gruhn, Sophie
          Segers, Eliane
          Verhoeven, Ludo
        affil: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen The Netherlands
      sug:
        subj:
          Reading In Infancy and Childhood
          Language Development In Infancy and Childhood
          Learning In Infancy and Childhood
          Human
          Vocabulary
          Child
          Netherlands
          Male
          Female
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Random Assignment
          Funding Source
          Coefficient alpha
          Intraclass Correlation Coefficient
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Kruskal-Wallis Test
          Chi Square Test
          One-Way Analysis of Variance
          Control Group
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab:
        We investigated pictorial versus contextual support effects over and above teaching of definitions on children's word learning and retention as well as the moderating role of reading comprehension. In a between‐subject pre‐post‐retention test control group design, Dutch fourth graders learned concrete and abstract Dutch words. The context group received definitions and context sentences, the picture group received definitions and pictures, and the control group only received definitions. Children in the picture group outperformed children in the context group but not the control group on all words directly after learning. This learning gain, however, disappeared over time because participants in the context group retrieved the word meanings better than in the other groups 1 day later. Interestingly, reading comprehension moderated the forgetting effect, as low comprehenders in the experimental groups forgot less than those in the control group. Adding pictures to definitions, thus, leads to richer long‐term knowledge for low comprehenders.
        Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter? Word meanings are taught with definitions combined with context sentences and pictures.As low comprehenders struggle with context learning, they might benefit more from pictures.Abstract words might benefit less from pictures, and more from context sentences.The benefit of either adding pictures or context sentences to definitions is not yet clear. What our paper adds to this? We taught 4th graders new words in one of three learning conditions.Definitions were provided in isolation or together with either a context sentence or picture.We examined the learning gain after training and one day later.We investigated influences of reading comprehension abilities and word concreteness. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Pictures in contrast to context sentences supported direct learning of all words.Although context sentences did not support learning, they helped to forget less over time.Low comprehenders retained knowledge better either with pictures or context.Explicit instructions should favor pictures above context sentences for all learners.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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