SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology of Language
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653511
This article is part of the Research TopicDiscourse, Conversation and Argumentation: Theoretical Perspectives and Innovative Empirical Studies, Volume IVView all 10 articles
The Effects of Interactive Reading on Young Children's Narrative Abilities: A Meta-Analytic Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Chongqing Preschool Teachers College, Chongqing, China
- 2Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- 3Chongqing Jiangbei Clover Kindergarten, ChinaChongqing, China
- 4Chongqing Jiangbei Xincun Kindergarten, Chongqing, China
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Abstract Background: The development of narrative abilities during early childhood forms the foundation for more complex language expression and comprehension later in life. This study employs a meta-analytic approach to systematically evaluate and inf er the effects of interactive reading on young children's narrative abilities. Methods: Inclusion criteria for eligible studies were established. Electronic databases, including CNKI, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, Wiley, and ERIC, were systematically searched for experimental or quasi-experimental studies investigating the effects of interactive reading on young children's narrative abilities. A moderator analysis was subsequently conducted to explore potential factors influencing the effectiveness of interactive reading interventions. Results: A total of 25 studies (k = 123 independent effect sizes; N = 2,886 participants) were included. Random-effects modeling revealed significant heterogeneity (I² = 76.07%, p < 0.001). Key findings: (1) Interactive reading exerted a medium aggregate effect on narrative ability development (g = 0.425, 95% CI [0.333, 0.518], p < 0.001), per Cohen's benchmarks. (2) The effect on children's narrative development was significantly moderated by the duration of the interactive reading intervention. (3) Incorporating peer sharing during interactive reading significantly enhanced the development of children's narrative abilities. Conclusion: Interactive reading has a positive intervention effect on children's narrative abilities, and this effect is influenced by multiple moderating variables. This meta-analysis provides quantitative evidence supporting the role of interactive reading in promoting the development of children's narrative abilities. Future meta-analyses could simultaneously include both preschool and school-age children to compare and analyze the intervention effects across different age groups.
Keywords: interactive reading, Narrative abilities, Meta-analysis, early childhood education, Language education
Received: 25 Jun 2025; Accepted: 08 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xing, Tang, Liu, Chen, Zeng and Su. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lei Xing, 530330054@qq.com
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