WWC review of this study

Do Live versus Audio-Recorded Narrative Stimuli Influence Young Children's Narrative Comprehension and Retell Quality?

Kim, Young-Suk Grace (2016). Grantee Submission. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED575732

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    193
     Students
    , grades
    K-4

Reviewed: January 2023

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Receptive Communication outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension: Age-standardized

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Full sample (Grades K, 2, and 4);
193 students

9.17

8.32

No

--

Researcher-developed Narrative Retell Quality measure

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Full sample (Grades K, 2, and 4);
193 students

31.30

29.77

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension: Age-standardized

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade K;
54 students

9.30

7.93

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade K;
54 students

21.07

17.78

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 2;
74 students

26.72

24.21

No

--

Researcher-developed Narrative Retell Quality measure

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade K;
54 students

20.67

17.18

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension: Age-standardized

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 2;
74 students

8.53

7.55

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Full sample (Grades K, 2, and 4);
193 students

26.41

24.45

No

--

Researcher-developed Narrative Retell Quality measure

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 2;
74 students

32.08

30.18

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 4;
65 students

30.56

30.18

No

--

Test of Narrative Language (TNL) Comprehension: Age-standardized

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 4;
65 students

9.78

9.52

No

--

Researcher-developed Narrative Retell Quality measure

Live narrative stimuli - Kim (2016) vs. Audio recorded stimuli

0 Days

Grade 4;
65 students

39.38

39.61

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • 1% English language learners

  • Female: 55%
    Male: 45%

  • Town
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    Florida
  • Race
    Black
    54%
    Other or unknown
    8%
    White
    38%
  • Ethnicity
    Other or unknown    
    100%
  • Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch
    Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL)    
    57%
    No FRPL    
    43%

Setting

This study took place in two elementary schools, one public and one private, in a mid-size city in Florida.

Study sample

A total of 193 students in kindergarten and grades 2 and 4 from two elementary schools were included in the study. The majority of students were African American (54%), 38% were White, and 8% were another race. Approximately 45% of the students were male and 57% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Two students (or 1%) were English learners.

Intervention Group

The live narrative stimuli intervention is a practice in which a trained interventionist reads stories aloud to a student during English language and literacy testing. Students in the live narrative group completed Tasks 1, 3, and 5 of the Test of Narrative Language (TNL) with a live narrative stimuli. A trained graduate student read aloud each component of the TNL to each student in an individual setting. In Task 1, the student listened to a story read by the graduate student without visual stimuli. In Task 3, the student was presented with five pictures along with a story. In Task 5, a single picture was presented to the student along with a story. Immediately after listening to each story, the student was asked to retell the story and answer a series of comprehension questions. Each student participated in one testing session. The study did not indicate how long each testing session lasted.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison group completed Tasks 1, 3, and 5 of the TNL using audio-recorded narrative stimuli. Students listened to each story pre-recorded by a female in a natural storytelling voice via a CD player. For “ecological validity,” students did not use headphones and the volume was adjusted to each student's comfort level. Assessment procedures and locations were the same as the intervention group, except for the delivery method of the stories (live versus audio-recoded).

Support for implementation

Trained graduate students carried out the administration and scoring of the assessments. The same assessors (graduate students) administered all the tasks to students in both stimuli conditions in each grade. The assessors were trained to read stories in standard way according to a manual associated with the TNL. An assessor with extensive experience working with children and the TNL assessments observed each mock assessment. Research assistants assessed the audio recordings of stories used in the comparison condition for clarity and evaluated whether the story was read in a natural storytelling voice appropriate to the geographical region. Other graduate students, unaware of the study purpose and condition, were trained to code transcripts and score students' comprehension and retell responses using a scoring rubric. Assessors had to meet a minimum of 95% fidelity prior to implementing the procedures used for the study.

 

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