Early Literacy Research Library (ELRL) - Article

Early Literacy Promotion Using Automated Hovering Among Young Minority Children

Guevara, J. P., Jimenez, M. E., Jenssen, B. P., Luethke, M., Doyle, R., & Buttenheim, A. (2023). Early Literacy Promotion Using Automated Hovering Among Young Minority Children. Academic pediatrics.,

Access: FREE/Open Access

Publication year

2023

study description

Implementation evaluation

core topic(s)

Early Literacy , Pediatric Primary Care , Reach Out and Read (ROR) , Shared Reading

Population Characteristics

Toddler/Preschool

Exposures, Outcomes, Other

Home Language/Literacy/Learning Environment , Parent-Child Relationships/Interactions , Reading Frequency , Validity, Reliability, Feasibility, and Acceptability


objectives

To determine feasibility, acceptability, and explore outcomes of behavioral economic (BE) strategies to increase parent-child shared reading within a Reach Out and Read program.

exposure

Behavioral economic (BE) strategies to increase parent-child shared reading

outcomes evaluated

Feasibility and acceptability of study

setting

2 urban pediatric practices with active ROR programs

methods

We conducted rapid-cycle interviews with 10 parents to assess text messages followed by an 8-week randomized controlled trial of 3 BE strategies at 2 urban primary care practices: daily text messages (texting); daily text messages and regret messaging (regret); or daily text messages, regret messaging, and lottery participation (lottery). Parent-child dyads were eligible if children were <24 months old, Medicaid-eligible, and had access to phones capable of receiving and sending text messages. Parents completed the Read Subscale of the StimQ and Parenting Stress Index-short form (PSI-SF) pre- and postintervention, MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI), Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), and a satisfaction measure postintervention. Differences between groups were assessed using intention-to-treat analysis

sample size

N=41 dyads

measures

Feasibility was measured as the proportion of participants who completed the study. Acceptability was measured at follow-up using a 5-point Likert-scaled question on overall satisfaction

Demographic characteristics

Read Subscale of the StimQ: measure of the home reading environment and was completed at baseline and follow-up

Parenting Stress Index-short form (PSI-SF): completed pre- and postintervention to measure stress

MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI): is a validated parent-report scale of early language comprehension

Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA): 33-item parent-report scale of socio-emotional problems

 


results

Most participants were Black with incomes <$55,000. Parents reported reading on average 4 d/wk with no change in the reading frequency over time. StimQ scores increased over time, but there were no significant differences in StimQ, PSI-SF, CDI, and DECA scores between groups. Parents in all 3 groups reported satisfaction (3.8/5.0) with the intervention.

conclusions

Implementation of BE strategies in 2 Reach Out and Read programs was feasible, near acceptable, and improved home reading environment scores. Future study should investigate BE strategies vis-à-vis usual care and be of sufficient duration and intensity to engage participants to assess its impact on patient and parent outcomes.

limitations

First, the study was conducted in a single geographic area and may not be generalizable to other locations and populations. Second, we omitted a usual care control group. As a result, we were unable to isolate the individual effects of the 3 BE strategies compared to usual care. Third, the pilot trial was small and underpowered to find statistically significant differences in outcomes. Future studies should incorporate larger adequately powered sample sizes. Fourth, we were unable to determine if participants reliably read all daily text messages, as responses to text messages were limited. Fifth, we only measured the frequency of reading, not the duration or quality of daily reading.

ROR