Research has shown that adult-child shared book reading can enhance language and
literacy development in the early years, although little is known about how mothers
and children from socio-economically disadvantaged communities interact around
books. This study investigated the shared reading interactions of three mother-child
dyads living in such a community. Mothers were interviewed and videotaped reading at
home with their three-year-old children on four separate occasions. The practice of
shared reading was found to be common in the homes and mothers felt that reading
with their children was important. Videotapes were transcribed and analysed using
interpretative methods; this analysis showed substantial differences in the amount
and type of interaction for each dyad. Interactions ranged from text focused to
participatory. Mothers were tuned to their children’s capabilities and
children had developed behaviours that encouraged feedback from their mothers. While
many of the behaviours involved simple discussions around illustrations, some
sophisticated reading behaviours were also observed.
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