Parent-child joint book reading: An observational protocol for young children

Research suggests that storybook reading facilitates language development and plays an important role in preparing children for success in school. Children who have early language delays are at risk for reading difficulties in the elementary years. Consequently, speech-language pathologists may want to incorporate one important aspect of early literacy development-parent-child storybook reading-into their remedial programs for some young children with language impairment. This article presents the Kaderavek-Sulzby Bookreading Observational Protocol (KSBOP) as a tool to organize parent-child storybook observations. To facilitate use of this protocol, the authors present the following: (a) background information on the research project from which the KSBOP was developed, (b) foundation knowledge about pertinent emergent literacy theory, and (c) a method for observing parent-child reading interactions with examples of how the protocol was used with a child who was language delayed. An annotated appendix is included.