Vocabulary Acquisition: An Investigation of Prompted and Spontaneous Vocabulary Use in Preschool Children during Dialogic Book Reading

by HEDGES, ERIN M.

Vocabulary usage of targeted vocabulary words in preschoolers was investigated. During a dialogic book reading activity, prompted and spontaneous responses of targeted vocabulary were analyzed through videotaped sessions. Possible differences in frequency of response with each participant and across participants were examined. Both prompted and spontaneous responses had similar outcomes in that neither increased nor decreased in frequency by session for each child, and neither increased nor decreased in frequency across child by session. Limitations of study, clinical implications, and future research are discussed.