The Effect of a Sibling Shared Reading Summer Program

reading, shared reading, language intervention, migrant families

Research Mentor: Miguel Garcia-Salas, He/Him
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication Science and Disorders / Florida Center for Reading Research, Communication and Information
Contact Email: mgarciasalas@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Carla Wood
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: carla.wood@cci.fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: 201 W Bloxham St., Tallahassee, FL 32301
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Thursday, September 7th from 9:00 - 9:30 AM (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97100814766)
Thursday, September 7th from 2:00 - 2:30 PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97101293307)

Project Description

Reading at home is a powerful way to promote language and literacy development. However, it's important to consider the various approaches to reading at home, as some methods are more effective in promoting language and literacy skills than others. Among these approaches, dialogic reading stands out as an effective strategy supported by extensive evidence, mostly focusing on its implementation by teachers and parents. Nevertheless, in certain families such as migrant families, older siblings take on the role of primary readers for their younger siblings who are of preschool age. Hence, the objective of this project is to assess the feasibility of teaching dialogic reading techniques to older siblings and examine whether their younger siblings exhibit improved communication skills as a result.

Research Tasks: Researchers will review shared reading videos and transcribe them according to Systematic Analysis of Language Transcription (SALT) conventions.
Researchers will analyze shared reading transcriptions using SALT to compute the child's mean length of utterance (MLU), the child's number of different words (NDW), and the number of child utterances.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Prior experience in data analysis and SALT is not necessary for this project. However, it is essential to possess keen attention to detail while undergoing coding training and adhering to research protocols. Additionally, strong organizational skills are required to efficiently handle research materials, data, and meet deadlines while working collaboratively within the research team. Effective communication skills are also vital for effective collaboration with team members and expressing ideas. Lastly, successful participation in this project demands excellent teamwork and collaboration skills to actively contribute to group discussions and foster a positive working relationship with the rest of the research team.