Impact of Protagonist Race on Preschoolers’ Engagement and Preferences in Book Reading: A Systematic Replication

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.1936-9298.2024.1.1.36-60

Keywords:

preschool, race, children's literature, alternating treatments design, engagement

Abstract

In this systematic replication, we used an alternating treatments design to examine whether preschoolers’ engagement in book reading activities was greater for books with protagonists of the same race compared to books with protagonists of a different race. Seven of the eight participants were White; one was Black. The books used were identical except for the skin color and hair texture of the protagonists. We measured children’s initiations, responses to questions, passive engagement, and preferences for books. Children’s engagement did not consistently vary based on protagonist.

Author Biographies

Jessica K. Hardy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Jessica K. Hardy received her Ph.D. in special education from Vanderbilt University and her M.Ed. and B.A. from the University of Florida.  She taught in Portland, OR as a Head Start teacher and an early childhood special education teacher.  Jessica’s primary research interests are evidence-based instructional practices for young children with disabilities.  She is currently an assistant professor of special education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Robert C. Pennington, OCALI-Center of Excellence on Inclusive Practice

Robert C. Pennington received his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kentucky. He has 30 years of experience supporting students with a range of support needs as a teacher, behavior analyst, teacher educator, and researcher. He currently serves as the Director of the Center of Excellence on Inclusive Practice at the Ohio Center on Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI).

Abigail R. Black, Community Coordinated Child Care (4C)

 

Abigail Black holds an M.A.T. in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education from the University of Louisville. She has experience teaching at Reggio-inspired programs and providing developmental interventions through the Kentucky Early Intervention System. Abigail currently works on the Professional Development and Family Child Care teams at Community Coordinated Child Care in Louisville, KY. In her role, she conducts training sessions for early childhood educators and provides essential technical assistance for Family Child Care homes.

Tianhong "Jojo" Yao, University of Pennsylvania

Tianhong "Jojo" Yao received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Louisville and her M.Phil. in professional counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. Jojo's research interests center around the experiences and impacts of racism and resilience among international students and Asian immigrants in the U.S. She also has clinical experiences in providing psychotherapy for college students with diverse backgrounds and is currently a licensed practicing counseling psychologist.

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Published

2024-10-07

How to Cite

Hardy, J., Pennington, R., Black, A., & Yao, T. (2024). Impact of Protagonist Race on Preschoolers’ Engagement and Preferences in Book Reading: A Systematic Replication. Single Case in the Social Sciences, 1(1), 36–60. https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.1936-9298.2024.1.1.36-60

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