Abstract Shared-reading is an effective means of fostering preschool children’s vocabulary development, with questions widely used to increase learning. Theoretical explanations on effects of specific question features are, however, often contradictory. To examine different predictions relating to question demand level and placement, two stories were read in a pre-post-design to a sample of ninety-one 4- to 6-year-old German preschool children in small groups (five to seven children), whereby target-word learning (nouns and verbs) was measured via receptive word-recognition and expressive word-definition tasks. Demand level (low-demand vs. high-demand vs. scaffolding-like) was operationalized as a between-subjects factor and placement (within vs. after the story) as a within-subjects factor. In addition, as controls, one group received a reading-only condition and control words (not accompanied by questions) were interspersed in the stories. Results indicate that children’s target-word learning profited from questions, with the reading-only condition being less effective than the question conditions regarding receptive word recognition and significantly inferior to low-demand questions on expressive word definitions. Contrary to predictions made by different theories, question placement, demand level, and their interaction with children’s vocabulary size or phonological working memory had no differential effects on expressive and receptive target-word learning gains.

中文翻译：

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小组共享阅读：考察问题需求水平和位置的影响

摘要 共享阅读是促进学龄前儿童词汇发展的有效手段，问题广泛用于促进学习。然而，对特定问题特征的影响的理论解释往往是相互矛盾的。为了检验与问题需求水平和安置相关的不同预测，在事前设计中对 91 名 4 至 6 岁德国学龄前儿童（5 至 7 名儿童）的样本阅读了两个故事，其中目标词学习（名词和动词）是通过接受性词识别和表达性词定义任务来衡量的。需求水平（低需求 vs. 高需求 vs. 类似脚手架）作为主体间因素进行操作，放置（故事内 vs. 故事后）作为主体内因素。此外，作为对照，一组接受只读条件，控制词（不伴随问题）穿插在故事中。结果表明，儿童的目标词学习受益于问题，在接受性词识别方面，只读条件不如问题条件有效，并且在表达性词定义方面明显不如低要求问题。与不同理论的预测相反，问题放置、需求水平以及它们与儿童词汇量或语音工作记忆的相互作用对表达性和接受性目标词学习收益没有不同的影响。阅读条件不如接受性单词识别的问题条件有效，并且显着低于表达性单词定义的低需求问题。与不同理论的预测相反，问题放置、需求水平以及它们与儿童词汇量或语音工作记忆的相互作用对表达性和接受性目标词学习收益没有不同的影响。阅读条件不如接受性单词识别的问题条件有效，并且显着低于表达性单词定义的低需求问题。与不同理论的预测相反，问题放置、需求水平以及它们与儿童词汇量或语音工作记忆的相互作用对表达性和接受性目标词学习收益没有不同的影响。