Supporting vocabulary development in a culturally/linguistically diverse family

Educators and researchers consider vocabulary development foundational in young children’s language and literacy learning and for academic achievement; adult-child shared book reading is potentially a rich site for word learning and concept development. In this article, we report on how an immigrant father and his four year old daughter, English Language Learners living in a community identified as “vulnerable”, attended to words and their meanings in two shared reading sessions. Results indicate the father enacted a number of strategies including: verbal explanations; providing verbal explanations and pointing to the relevant illustration; referencing the child’s previous experiences; and using demonstration and gesture. The findings challenge some of the assumptions about immigrant families and families living in “vulnerable” communities, as well as the role of fathers in young children’s language and literacy development.