Emerging Ideas: Father–child exchanges, configurations, and discourse during shared book‐reading: An interaction analysis

Abstract

Objective and Background Shared book‐reading (SBR) has long been thought of as a way to improve language skills in children, but the specifics of SBR practices have been studied less often, especially with fathers. Method This study used interaction analysis—a qualitative methodology that examines the participants' discourse, actions, and surroundings together—to examine videos of nine predominantly Hispanic fathers as they engaged in SBR with their infants and toddlers (aged 9–35 months) using a developmentally appropriate book offered in both English and Spanish. Analyses examined the discourse strategies fathers used during SBR, how fathers physically supported joint attention, and how discourse was supported through physical reading configurations, conjoined speech, and movement practices. Conclusion and Implications Findings illustrate how interaction analysis allows for additional information of fathers' and children's SBR practices to be examined in future studies. This study suggests that more holistic assessments of infants' and toddlers' communicative behaviors and language should be used when interacting with fathers and their young children.