Social Media Accompanying Reading Together: A SMART Approach to Promote Literacy Engagement

Abstract Dialogic reading, in which parents engage children in discussion of books, is associated with long-term literacy success. Social media is an emerging platform for promoting behavioral change, but it has yet to be tested as a platform for engaging parents in use of dialogic reading strategies with their young children. This exploratory study was intended to determine whether social media is an appropriate platform through which to promote parent–child literacy behaviors in families of preschool-aged children, thus supporting future intervention development. We examined parents’ use of dialogic reading strategies following a social media–delivered training program, using an A-B single case research design. Seven parents of preschool-aged children received 27 one-minute videos delivered via Twitter over a 9-week treatment period. These videos provided instruction on dialogic reading strategies including asking comprehension questions, referencing print, and discussing vocabulary. Parents demonstrated increased use of dialogic reading strategies while reading consistent with instruction throughout the study. Children demonstrated gains on measures of comprehension and oral language from pretest to posttest, although gains on print awareness measures were less robust. Results support further development and evaluation of a social media parent training program. Social media is free, accessed by millions of people every day, and provides an adaptable avenue to reach families and promote engagement. Although further research is required, social media seems like a viable option to explore for changing parent behaviors.