ERIC Number: EJ1054482
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0663
EISSN: N/A
Learning Vocabulary from Television: Does Onscreen Print Have a Role?
Linebarger, Deborah L.; Moses, Annie; Garrity Liebeskind, Kara; McMenamin, Katie
Journal of Educational Psychology, v105 n3 p609-621 Aug 2013
Vocabulary acquisition associated with watching high-quality educational television has been documented in a number of studies. One lingering question is whether adding strategically placed onscreen print to a program can enhance vocabulary acquisition beyond those effects attributable to viewing educational content alone. The present study was designed to test this question with 4- to 8-year-old children (N = 121). The moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES) was also tested. Children were living either at or below the U.S. federal poverty level (low socioeconomic status; L-SES) or above the U.S. federal poverty level (working-class socioeconomic status; WC-SES). All children were asked to view 16 different episodes of the program "Martha Speaks" at least one time during a 4-week viewing phase (mean number of views = 24). Half the children (n = 61) viewed with target vocabulary words displayed onscreen when the word was first introduced in an episode, whereas the other half (n = 60) viewed without print. There were no direct effects associated with onscreen print. Instead, L-SES children identified more program-specific vocabulary words at the posttest when they saw the program without print, while WC-SES children identified more program-specific words at the posttest when they saw the program with print. Repeated exposure benefited L-SES children regardless of the presence or absence of onscreen print. In contrast, WC-SES children in the onscreen print group did not show additional gains from repeated exposure, whereas WC-SES children in the no-print group evidenced declining vocabulary scores with repeated exposure.
Descriptors: Vocabulary Development, Television Viewing, Programming (Broadcast), Educational Television, Socioeconomic Status, Role, Poverty, Working Class, Elementary School Students, Urban Areas, Parent Attitudes, Questionnaires, Diaries, Parent Child Relationship, Receptive Language, Expressive Language, Transfer of Training, Scores, Layout (Publications)
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: U295A050003