Scaffolding and Engagement are Coupled During Shared Book Reading’s Word-Learning Moments

Diprossimo, Laura and Cain, Kate (2026) Scaffolding and Engagement are Coupled During Shared Book Reading’s Word-Learning Moments. Journal of Child Language. ISSN 0305-0009 (In Press)

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Abstract

This study tested the assumption that caregiver scaffolding and child engagement are tightly coupled during shared book reading’s word-learning moments. It also examined whether this coupling is consistent or variable across print and digital reading media. Word-learning episodes were coded from a corpus of videorecorded shared-reading interactions between caregiver-child dyads (N = 78, children’s age range = 4;0 – 5;11). Results support the prediction that scaffolding and engagement are coupled during word-learning moments. This coupling was robust across reading media. Further, child age was a significant predictor of engagement. These findings confirm that engagement is a critical social interaction mechanism involved in the scaffolding process that supports word learning.