Comparing the Effects of Storybook Reading and Storytelling on Preschoolers' and Kindergartners' Ability to Answer Comprehension Questions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare preschoolers' and kindergartners' ability to comprehend a story as a result of either having read to them from a book or having orally told them a story. A second purpose of this study was to examine each age group individually to see if age played a factor in their comprehension of the stories with relation to the two methods of presenting the stories. The books were introduced before they were presented. Two methods of presentation were used: reading a story from the book, or telling a story orally, without the book. In a one-on-one setting, both books were presented by the researcher to each child. The order of the books and the method of presentation of each book were carefully chosen by the researcher in order to prevent any bias as a result of one book always being presented before the other, or one book being presented using one method more than the other. The researcher presented some questions and comments during the stories and each child was asked three comprehension questions at the end of each story. The same researcher conducted both the read aloud and storytelling sessions. The comprehension scores were-compared by using a two-way analysis of variance. The results showed no significant differences in their comprehension scores.