Enriching Young Children’s Concepts of Plant Growth Through Dialogic Reading With a Picture Book

OpenAlex İngilizce

Understanding how young children develop scientific concepts is a key focus in early childhood education, especially when integrating language-rich approaches into science learning. However, few studies have examined how dialogic reading supports science concept development beyond literacy. This study explored how dialogic interactions during Dialogic Reading (DR) enriched young children’s understanding of plant growth. The intervention used the picture book The Dandelion Seed’s Big Dream and applied CROWD (Completion, Recall, Open-ended, Wh-, Distancing) and PEER (Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, Repeat) strategies. Nineteen children aged 6–7 participated. Data were collected using draw-and-tell, semi-structured teacher interviews, and unstructured researcher observations to capture children’s conceptual expressions. Results showed that children’s understanding of plant development became more elaborate over time. Pre-assessments focused on basic elements such as sun, water, soil, and humans, while post-assessments included seedling, root, wind, and growth. Teacher reflections and observations indicated that dialogic reading created a socially interactive and linguistically rich environment where children co-constructed ideas. The results suggest that dialogic reading is effective not only for literacy but also for early science learning, emphasizing the value of integrating language-based strategies to foster greater conceptual enrichment in young children. Keywords: dialogic reading, dialogic interactions, early science education, enriching science concepts, picture books.