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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.
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