Social justice storytelling study

 A recent study pointed out the need for librarians to tell stories about social justice, noting its impact on their listeners.“We both felt our field needs to teach students to be diversity advocates,” McDowell said. “We want our students to recognize injustices on the ground when they are happening so they can advocate for student well-being.”

McDowell, K., & Cooke, N. (2022). Social justice storytelling: A pedagogical imperative. Library Quarterly. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/721391

Benefits of Reading Aloud on Language Acquisition

Findings from this study show the positive effects of read-alouds and storytelling on literacy development and second-language acquisition, which have also been confirmed many times in the research literature. In addition, there is consistent evidence that in-school free voluntary reading (sustained silent reading) is effective for both first- and second-language acquisition. Hearing stories stimulates interest in particular books, which in turn encourages a reading habit. In this study, the authors investigate the effect of a combination read-aloud/self-selected reading experience on sixth graders in Korea studying English as a foreign language on measures of both language/literacy development and interest in reading. The study states that the latter may be the most important measure, as it is an indication of whether the students will continue to read on their own and thereby continue to improve in English after the program ends.

Cho, K. S., & Choi, D. S. (2008). Are read-alouds and free reading “natural partners”?: An experimental study. Knowledge Quest, 36(5), 69-73. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ822222

Storytelling Ability Can Affect Reading Skills

According to research by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, African-American boys in preschool who excel at storytelling may learn to read more quickly than their peers. Researcher Nicole Gardner-Neblett said the results were something of a surprise. Her previous research had found that strong oral narrative skills in preschool predicted better reading comprehension in elementary school for African-American children, though not for white, Hispanic or Asian children. This latest study was an attempt to find out more about that connection, especially as it demonstrated an area of academic strength for a group that is often considered at a disadvantage in school. Identifying strengths that could lead to success in reading is of particular importance, Gardner-Neblett said, because of the wide skill gap between African- American students and white students.

Gardner-Neblett, N. (2017). African-American boys who tell better stories as preschoolers may learn to read more quickly. North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. http://hechingerreport.org/african-american-boys-tell-better-stories-preschoolers-may-learn-read-quickly/