Feasibility, efficacy, and social validity of home-based storybook reading intervention for children with language impairment.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the feasibility, efficacy, and social validity of a parent-implemented intervention for promoting print knowledge in preschoolers with language impairment.


METHODS
This trial involved 62 children and their parents. Each dyad completed a 12-week intervention program. Parents in the treatment group implemented print-focused reading sessions; parents in two comparison groups implemented sessions focused on either storybook pictures (picture-focused condition) or phonological concepts (sound-focused condition).


RESULTS
Many parents completed the program successfully, but attrition was high; 23% of families dropped out of the program. Children who remained in the treatment group demonstrated significantly greater gains on 1 of 2 measures of print knowledge compared with those in the picture-focused condition but not the sound-focused condition. Parents generally reported favorable impressions of the program, although several aspects of the program received higher ratings from parents in the print-focused group.


CONCLUSIONS
Study results raise questions about the feasibility of home-based intervention for some families; future research that examines the characteristics of families that may affect completion are needed. The causal effects of print-focused reading sessions are promising for addressing children's print-concept knowledge but not alphabet knowledge. Home-based reading intervention has considerable social validity as a therapeutic approach.
Justice
Laura M
LM
The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA. justice.57@osu.edu
Skibbe
Lori E
LE
McGinty
Anita S
AS
Piasta
Shayne B
SB
Petrill
Stephen
S
D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results