Using Interactive Reading to Support Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Children

Using Interactive Reading to Support Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Children | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Using Interactive Reading to Support Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Children Valerie Krage, Melinda E Langeberg This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This qualitative study examined the impact of interactive reading aloud on preschool children's social-emotional vocabulary. It focused on children's word complexity and frequency. Over five sessions, 18 4-5-year-old children participated in an interactive read-aloud approach. Transcripts and video recordings were analyzed using typological analysis. The findings developed insights into how children use emotional vocabulary to describe experiences. It includes an updated social-emotional feeling wheel based on young children's emotional vocabulary. Interactive Reading Social-Emotional Learning Social-Emotional Vocabulary Preschool Children’s Literature Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Public schools report that student behavior has deteriorated since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. The National Center for Educational Statistics echoed this sentiment, reporting, “Eighty-seven percent of public schools agreed or strongly agreed that the pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development.” Similarly, 84 percent of public schools noted that “the pandemic has negatively impacted behavioral development.” At the height of the pandemic, current preschoolers, babies, and toddlers missed critical opportunities to interact with peers, potentially impacting the development of foundational social-emotional skills (Egan et al., 2021). As a result, schools are turning to social-emotional (SEL) learning strategies and curricula to fill this gap. Schools that focus on social-emotional learning report positive behavior results. According to Durlak and Mahoney (2019), “27% of students have improved academic performance, 24% have improved social behaviors and lower levels of distress, and 22% showed fewer conduct problems” (p. 2) when exposed to social-emotional learning classroom activities. Thus, Tussey and Hass (2021) also found that implementing social-emotional programs benefits students academically while improving classroom experience.” Social Emotional Learning The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This framework categorizes SEL into five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning, n.d). Social-emotional growth begins early in a child’s life and influences academic achievement, social competence, and mental health. A child’s ability to recognize and understand their own and others’ emotional states and to interact effectively with others provides a critical foundation for continued social and academic success, including peer relationships and adjustment to school (Nakamichi et al., 2019; Poulou, 2019). Children with social and emotional challenges, on the other hand, are at increased risk of developing internalizing and externalizing disorders later in life (Essex et al., 2006; Lavigne et al., 1998). While one may argue that children lacking foundational socioemotional skills most need the structure and support offered by a quality early childhood program, they are also more likely than their peers to be expelled from preschool (Gilliam, 2005). According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), each year, over 8,700 three- and four-year-old children are expelled from their state-funded preschool or pre-kindergarten classrooms. For all children, social-emotional learning is critical for overall child well-being (Denham, 2014.) It is one of the most important supporting elements for school and long-term life success (Morgan et al., 2008). One strategy that builds social-emotional skills is interactive reading-alouds. Pairing picture books and discussion enhances a child's ability to use emotional language, which is why schools have begun to include social-emotional learning in their curriculum (Hofmann et al., 2012; Garner et al., 2018). Interactive Reading Interactive reading is a process that improves language outcomes and creates a literacy learning foundation where the child is an active participant in the reading process (Lonigan et al., 2009). One systematic review described interactive reading as asking questions, noting illustrations, and making connections to other texts and a child’s experience (Grover et al., 2023). While many studies involving interactive reading focus on vocabulary and emergent literacy skills, this strategy is often overlooked for its ability to support or build social-emotional skills. Interactive reading supports children in developing SEL skills such as reflection, perspective-taking, and understanding social relationships (Browne, 1996); empathy and self-determination skills (Holm, 2012; Konrad et al., 2007); and language, creativity, problem-solving, and movement skills (Gabbei et al., 2005). In addition, studies conclude that perspective-taking, a key socio-emotional skill, is directly related to reading comprehension (Ebert, 2020). In their research on the effect of picture book reading on young children’s emotional regulation, Schoppmann et al. (2023) found that reading interactively to three-year-old children supported their use of emotional regulation strategies, specifically distraction in a waiting situation. Young children in the sample were, to some extent, able to transfer emotional regulation strategies from a picture book to their situation, suggesting picture book reading as a potential method to help children develop emotional language and skills. Other studies have found that interactive reading is associated with increased mental and emotional state talk and children’s socio-emotional competence (Baker, 2013; Betawi, 2015; Kohm et al., 2016). Finally, Aram and Schapira (2019) determined that parents’ references to thoughts, emotions, and social situations during interactive readings developed preschoolers’ empathy, prosocial attitudes, social coherence, and understanding of what causes emotions. We propose that interactive reading supports children’s ability to understand and articulate emotions and recognize others’ perspectives. Purpose This study investigated how interactive reading impacted preschool children’s social-emotional vocabulary development. The researchers paid attention to language use and recorded the number and complexity of social-emotional words used during a six-week study. The intent was to assess how many words and the complexity of words that children used to describe the emotions of the storybook characters. Research Questions How does interactive reading impact a child’s social-emotional vocabulary? How does interactive reading impact the complexity of emotion-based words that children use? Methodology Qualitative research design does not fit a specific data analysis mode (Hatch, 2002). Yet, it often includes observation, field notes, and video recordings. We engaged in interactive read-aloud with the children in small groups for six weeks. Each researcher read out loud using interactive strategies and took observational notes. A student researcher videotaped the read-aloud sessions. We analyzed every recorded session and transcript. While reading, we employed interactive methods and prompted children’s responses by asking open-ended questions and making follow-up comments. Finally, we provided positive reinforcement and related the story text to their real-life experiences. Setting and Participants This study’s setting was a medium-sized public university-licensed childcare center in the Midwest. The NAEYC-accredited center serves one to five-year-old children of university faculty, staff, and students. The study employed convenience sampling as the participants were enrolled in the childcare center on the campus where one of the researchers worked. Twenty-three children were in the class. There were five, five-year-olds, and eighteen four-year-olds. Although there were twenty-three enrolled children, only 18 to 15 attended on the days the researchers read aloud. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse IRB approved this study. Book Selection High-quality picture books are distinguished by their fanciful and rich vocabulary and the ability to expand a child’s point of view (Niland, 2023). Quality texts also build empathy and help children begin to untangle what it means to be human (Kidd et al., 2013). Using criteria from Farkas et al. (2018), we chose books with emotional language and characters whose thoughts and social situations encouraged interactive discussions. We selected fiction picture books that paired well with an interactive read-aloud because of the understanding that “literary fiction has the power to develop social understanding, emotional literacy, and empathy in readers” (Clark et al., 2021, pg. 249). We previewed 100 books and looked for award winners such as Newbery, Caldecott, teachers' choice, and children’s choice awards that included emotional language and quality illustrations. We consulted university and public children’s literature librarians and multiple reputable sites such as the Children’s Book Council and the American Library Association (Table 1). Table 1 Interactive Read-Aloud Titles and Authors Title Author The Grand Hotel of Feelings Lidia Brankovic What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking Tina Oziewicz and Aleksandra Zajac The Way I Feel Jana Cain The Way I Act Steve Metzger and Jana Cain Wave Suzy Lee The Color Monster Anna Llenas Out of a Jar Deborah Marcero Data Analysis We developed conceptual hierarchies using Typological analysis. This data analysis method separates data into groups based on research purpose or theory (Hatch, 2002). The hierarchies helped organize video recording analysis. For example, we noted the number of times students moved away from a perceptual category or a lexical range. We noted the number of times participants attached an emotional word to an experience. Finally, we observed the participants' ability to infer a character’s emotions. Researchers have used statistics to make claims about language. Blatt (2017) wrote that by assigning numerical values to words, readers can identify “new trends, ideas, techniques, and wisdom that might be otherwise hidden” (pg. 219). As children grow, they learn to express and regulate their emotions differently. Ridgeway et al. (1985) noted that children articulate four primary emotions: joy, sadness, anger, and fear. These researchers also emphasized that basic emotions are universal and help children communicate their needs and experiences before they develop complex language skills (1985). This research guided our analysis. Results Humans use language to share their understanding of the world. We identified the ways read-aloud impacted preschoolers' social-emotional language use in three ways. Perceptual Categories First, we identified perceptual language categories using the four categories identified by Ridgeway et al. (1985) and the Brown Med-Peds Self-Care Emotion Wheel (Brown Residency, n.d). Humans chunk information into vast interconnected file systems and develop perceptual categories to organize these files (Madole et al., 1999). This system allows the brain to retrieve information systematically and efficiently. These information chunks or layers have labels and represent the most general term for the information chunk. For example, humans organize everything they understand about birds into one layer and label it “bird.” Similarly, humans chunk common emotional language and label each emotional chunk with the most common or general term. For instance, "happy" represents a perceptual category. It is the most basic term for one human emotion. As humans develop, they add complex terms or layers to describe the happy feeling such as” joyful and playful.” Adding items and developing layers demonstrates linguistic complexity. Thus, we used this understanding to count the number of times students moved away from the perceptual language label or most common term and used more complex terms (Figure 1). Circumplex Model Analysis In addition to identifying perceptual layers, we examined the words children used during each read-aloud. Consistent with research on children’s articulation of four primary emotions (Ridgeway et al., 1985; Yik et al., 2011), we noticed that the children used iterations of the terms ‘happy’ ‘sad’ ‘mad’ and ‘afraid’ to describe both their emotions and those of characters. We aligned those as follows: happy/pleasure, sad/displeasure, mad/displeasure, afraid/displeasure (Russell, 1980). We also acknowledge that neuroscientists use a circumplex model to describe complementary behaviors plotted on two axes: assertive and submissive, cold and compassionate, or “using a linear combination of pleasure-displeasure and high to low arousal (Posner, 2005). Thus, we used this knowledge and plotted preschool word use in a circumplex diagram. This analysis identified complementary word use patterns at the beginning and end of the study. We found that participants increased the number and complexity in the upper left and lower right quadrants. Thus, students identified more character emotions related to unpleasant assertive and pleasant submissive behavior. Furthermore, we determined that children expressed and aligned motions with unpleasant emotions. Children articulated nine emotions in the ‘afraid’ category, and in the ‘sad’ category, children identified eight emotions. Comparatively, they identified five emotions in the ‘happy’ category. Finally, we categorize and analyze the types of vocabulary that participants used to describe feelings. Inferences Making inferences is crucial to developing critical thinking. Children with strong critical thinking skills successfully untangle daily life and academic challenges because inference skills improve social cue interpretation and develop reading comprehension skills. Next, making inferences is vital in developing mental models (Currie, 2019). These models are information systems stored in long-term memory that help humans understand, reason, and predict events, experiences, and knowledge (Genter, 2001). Interactive read-alouds helped students develop mental models related to text and make connections. Thus, during the read-aloud, participants connected their experiences to a text’s character, which, as they matured, improved their ability to infer thoughts and feelings. Our research found that the read-aloud provided space for participants to explore and articulate these connections. Finally, students identified feelings and predicted why the character felt a certain way. We identified two ways students made inferences. First, participants connected experiences to the words to describe the character’s actions eight times. Table 2 illustrates these results. Next, we identified how the participants connected personal experiences to words used in the text. Table 3 illustrates these results. Table 2 Participants' Inferences: Connections to Character Actions Emotion Word Inference Sorry “He did not know what he did.” Interested “Maybe he is at the doctor.” Shy “Shy is when you try to hide.” Bored “He is looking for something to do.” “Bored is a part of a feeling like in Inside Out.” Surprised “Maybe he sees seashells.” Happy-Shy “He has two feelings.” Worried (card 9) “I do this when I am calm.” Curious “I am curious because I am going camping.” Table 3 Participants’ Inferences: Connections to Personal Experience Introduced Word Inference exuberant Like when you get to go to the ice cream shop. confident When you can do something. shame Like, when you feel sad when someone is mad at you. compassion Like when people feel happy when you help them. grateful Like, because they help you get through something that you couldn’t do. They say, yeah, you can do it. You just gotta keep trying. Discussion Vocabulary Impact Our study focused on two research questions. First: In what ways does interactive read-aloud impact social-emotional vocabulary? Second: How does interactive reading affect children’s emotional vocabulary complexity? We observed that students expanded their social-emotional vocabulary while describing characters. Over time, participants increased the variety of emotional words they used. For instance, after introducing words like “gratitude, curious, and thankful,” children used them to describe character actions in subsequent sessions. This indicated a shift from common adjectives such as “happy” to more complex and precise words. We also noted that children generally responded with more specific feeling descriptions when prompted through discussion, suggesting that interactive read-aloud contributed to deeper thinking. Making Inferences The read-aloud provided a discussion platform for children to connect with characters. Psychologists describe the phenomenon as “character bonding.” Psychologists explained that this bonding promotes trust and builds healthy student/reader/text relationships. It encourages children to link their emotions to those of the characters. For example, one participant said, “I think he is interested; maybe he is going to the doctor.” Another participant noted, "She is bored because she is looking for something to do.” Research indicates that deepening a child's ability to identify emotions supports healthy mental states (Hyson 2004). Thus, the read-aloud allowed students to identify human emotional ranges and use complex words to express feelings and needs. Recommendations We identified a gap in professional social-emotional vocabulary tools. For example, we used the Brown med-ped self-care wheel as a guide. It includes seven perceptual categories and two levels of conceptually complex words. However, three-fourths of the wheel identified negative linguistic labels. The overabundance of negative words is contrary to the science of social-emotional learning. We want to teach students that emotions are not good or bad, but human emotions. Labeling emotions positive, negative, or neutral is contrary to this goal. Therefore, we used the Brown med-ped self-care wheel as a foundation for developing a new emotion wheel. Our wheel includes words based on our research results and aligned with language typical to a four/to five-year-old child. Teachers, parents, and mental health professionals can use our Preschool Emotions wheel to help 3–5-year-olds name their emotions without judgment and develop a precise social-emotional vocabulary. Figure 2 illustrates this emotional wheel. Further Research We noted that participants labeled emotions using colors. We hypothesized that the current film, Inside Out , contributed to this. Participants connected characters from that movie to the emotions they described and the characters they saw during Read-Aloud. Because of this, we also noted how preschoolers attributed negative emotions to dark colors. We wondered about further research on the connection of color, emotions, mental health, and bias. We also identified the tendency of children to identify unpleasant emotions more frequently than pleasant emotions. This warrants further investigation. Finally, we noted a gap in quality, developmentally appropriate picture books that engage students with social-emotional vocabulary. Limitations Participant attendance impacted this study. Either students were absent or arrived mid-session and disrupted the reading. Furthermore, two other occurrences disrupted the read-aloud. One, a presidential candidate campus visit, and two, Halloween preparations. Conclusion This study investigated the impact of interactive reading on preschoolers' emotional vocabulary. It focused on the frequency and complexity of words used during group discussion. Over six weeks, researchers engaged in interactive reading with a group of 4–5-year-old children in a preschool setting. Observational notes and video recordings captured responses and analyzed for emotional vocabulary. We determined that throughout the study, children used more complex and nuanced vocabulary to describe their emotions and made inferences about character's emotions. We also noted that children frequently described emotions that are considered unpleasant. We identified a gap in feeling word resources for this age group; thus, we created a Feel Wheel tailored to young children based on the vocabulary introduced and used by study participants. While this study was limited to the children present at each session, our findings suggest that engaging children in interactive reading fosters emotional literacy by encouraging children to use complex vocabulary in understanding and articulating emotions. This study highlights the importance of interactive read-aloud strategies for supporting children’s emotional development in early childhood education. Declarations Ethics Statement: This study underwent expedited review in accordance with 45 CFR 46.110(b)(1)(ii). The review was conducted under the ethical oversight of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Institutional Review Board (IRB), chaired by Dr. Katherine Kortenkamp, and the Viterbo University IRB, chaired by Dr. Patti Johnstone. A reliance agreement between the two universities outlined the responsibilities of each institution. The study protocol received formal approval from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse IRB. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the UWL IRB and with applicable national and institutional regulations. Funding Declaration: No funding was received to support the preparation of this manuscript. Human Ethics and Consent to Participate declarations: This study was approved by the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and Viterbo University Institutional Review Boards. Informed consent was obtained from all participants' legal guardians prior to participation. Data Availability: T he datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Consent to Publish Declaration: This manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data in any form (including individual details, images, or videos), and therefore, consent to publish is not applicable. Author Contribution: Drs. Val Krage and Melinda Langeberg were equally involved in the conceptualization, methodology, data collection and analysis and writing of this manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. References Aram, D., & Schapira, R. (2019). Shared book reading at home and preschoolers' socio-emotional competence. Early Child Development and Care , 189(10), 1664–1676. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1692624 Baker, C., Arndt, H., & Tripp, L. (2012). Parent-child interactive reading and its impact on emotional and social development. Journal of Child Development , 83(2), 312-324. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdc1002 Betawi, M. (2015). The impact of shared reading on the socio-emotional development of young children. Early Childhood Education Review , 35(4), 235-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ececd.2015.03.013 Brown Med-Peds Residency. (n.d.). Self-Care: Name It to Tame It. Retrieved from https://brownmedpedsresidency.org/self-care-name-it-to-tame-it/ Browne A (1996) Developing language and literac y 3-8. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Blatt, B. (2017). Nabokov's favorite word is mauve: What the numbers reveal about the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing . Simon and Schuster. Clark, C. T., Chrisman, A., & Lewis, S. G. (2021). Using picture books to teach with and against social and emotional learning. Language Arts , 98 (5), 246-259. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (n.d.). What is SEL? . Egan, S.M., Pope, J., Moloney, M. et al. (2021) Missing Early Education and Care During the Pandemic: The Socio-Emotional Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Young Children. Early Childhood Educ J 49 , 925–934. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01193-2 Durlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., & Boyle, A. E. (2022). What we know, and what we need to find out about universal, school-based social and emotional learning programs for children and adolescents: A review of meta-analyses and directions for future research. Psychological Bulletin , 148 (11-12), 765. Denham, S. A., & Zinsser, K. M. (2014). Social and emotional learning during early childhood. Encyclopedia of primary prevention and health promotion , 925-935. Ebert, S. (2020). Theory of mind, language, and reading: Developmental relations from early childhood to early adolescence. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology , 191, 104739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104739 Essex, M. J., Kraemer, H. C., Slattery, M. J., Burk, L. R., Boyce, W. T., Woodward, H. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (2006). Screening for childhood mental health problems: Outcomes and early identification. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47 (1), 16-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01447.x Farkas, C., Santelices, M. P., Vallotton, C. D., Brophy-Herb, H. E., Iglesias, M., Sieverson, C., Fettig, A., Cook, A. L., Morizio, L., Gould, K., & Brodsky, L. (2018). Using dialogic reading strategies to promote social-emotional skills for young students: An exploratory case study in an after-school program. Journal of Early Childhood Research: ECR , 16 (4), 436–448. Gabbei, R., & Clemmens H (2005) Creative movement from children’s storybooks: going beyond pantomime. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 76: 32–37. Crossref. Garner, P. W., & Parker, T. S. (2018). Young children’s picture-books as a forum for the socialization of emotion. Journal of Early Childhood Research , 16 (3), 291-304. Genter, D. (2001) Mental models. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01487-X. (ditor(s): Neil J. Smelser, Paul B. Baltes Gilliam, W. S. (2005). Pre-kindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten programs. Foundation for Child Development. Retrieved from https://fcd-us.org/resources/prekindergarteners-left-behind-expulsion-rates-state-prekindergarten-programs/ Grøver, V., Snow, C. E., Evans, L., & Strømme, H. (2023). Overlooked advantages of interactive book reading in early childhood? A systematic review and research agenda. Acta Psychologica , 239 , 103997. Hatch, J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings . State University of New York Press. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research , 36 (5), Springer New York LLC. 427–440. doi;https://doi. org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1. Holm D (2012) Exploring environmental empathy in action with children’s books. Reading Improvement 49(4): 134–139. Hyson, M. 2004. The emotional development of young children: Building an emotion-centered curriculum, 2nd ed. Teachers College Press Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science, 342 (6156), 377-380 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239918 Kohm, D., Miller, J., & Rogers, A. (2023). The impact of interactive shared book reading on children's language skills: A randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Research Quarterly , 40(1), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.11.010Konrad M., Helf S., Itoi, M. (2007) Using children’s literature to promote self-determination and literacy skills. Teaching Exceptional Children 40: 64–71. Language and Reading Research Consortium, Currie, N. K., & Muijselaar, M. M. L. (2019). Inference making in young children: The concurrent and longitudinal contributions of verbal working memory and vocabulary. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111 (8), 1416–1431. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000342 Lavigne, J. V., Gibbons, R. D., Christoffel, K. K., Arend, R., Rosenbaum, D., Binns, H., Dawson, N., Sobel, H., & Isaacs, C. (1998). Prevalence rates and correlates of psychiatric disorders among preschool children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 37 (2), 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199802000-00012 Lonigan, C. J., & Shanahan, T. (2009). Developing early literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel. Executive summary. A Scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications for intervention. National Institute for Literacy . Madole, K. L., & Oakes, L. M. (1999). From Perceptual Categories to Concepts: What Develops? Merrill-Palmer Quarterly , 45(1), 1–33 Nakamichi, K., Nakamichi, N., & Nakazawa, J. (2019). Preschool social-emotional competencies predict school adjustment in Grade 1. Early Child Development and Care , 4 , 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1608978 National Associate for the Education of Young Child (NAEYC). (2017). Standing together against suspension & expulsion in early childhood-Joint Statement. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C. National Center for Educational Statistics. (2022, July 12). A review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Outcomes for different student populations and settings (part 4 of 4). https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=REL2017248 Niland, A. (2023). Picture Books, Imagination and Play: Pathways to Positive Reading Identities for Young Children. Education Sciences , 13 (5), 511. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050511 Posner J, Russell JA, Peterson BS. (2005). The circumplex model of affect: an integrative approach to affective neuroscience, cognitive development, and psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol. Summer;17(3):715-34. doi:10.1017/S0954579405050340. PMID: 16262989; PMCID: PMC2367156. Poulou, M. S. (2019). Emotion knowledge and social and emotional competence: A preliminary study of preschool and first-grade Greek students. Hellenic Journal of Psychology , 16 , 22–42. https://ind01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/? url=https%3A%2F%2Fpseve.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F04%2FVolume16_Issue1_Maria_Poulou. pdf&data=02%7C01%7Caravind.devanathan%40integra.co.in%7Cc2dcf70f7a51475e720d08d80659a5e8% 7C70e2bc386b4b43a19821a49c0a744f3d%7C0%7C1% Ridgeway, D., Waters, E., & Kuczaj, S. A. (1985). Acquisition of emotion-descriptive language: Receptive and productive vocabulary norms for ages 18 months to 6 years. Developmental Psychology , 21 (5), 901. Schoppmann, J., Severin, F., Schneider, S., & Seehagen, S. (2023). The effect of picture book reading on young children’s use of an emotion regulation strategy. Plos one , 18 (8), e0289403. Tussey, J., & Haas, L. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of research on supporting social and emotional development through literacy education . IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7464-5 Yik, M., Russell, J. A., & Steiger, J. H. (2011). A 12-point circumplex structure of core affect. Emotion, 11 (4), 705–731. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023980 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7216793","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":526882563,"identity":"4faff58a-95fa-42e0-8747-4c41f72892db","order_by":0,"name":"Valerie Krage","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAwElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACHjBpw8DADmYwE60lDaaYeC2HSdBicObsw49fKs4nbjjM/EyCocI6sYGglrPtxtIyZ24DtbAZGzCcSSesRbKfjUFasu124rbDDIYPGNsOE6WF+bfkv3NALewfDjD+I0ILP28bm+THhgNALTxAWxqI0cJzjM2a4Viy8f7DPMUGCcfSjQlqYeNJY775o8ZOdmZ7+zaJDzXWsgS1gAAzD4yVQIxyEGD8QazKUTAKRsEoGJkAANuiPSTNl1kdAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Wisconsin-La Crosse","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Valerie","middleName":"","lastName":"Krage","suffix":""},{"id":526882564,"identity":"bd1e1535-bd1a-4df9-bb72-e3ac61e5ebc4","order_by":1,"name":"Melinda E Langeberg","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Viterbo University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Melinda","middleName":"E","lastName":"Langeberg","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-25 19:08:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":93336059,"identity":"08815159-4817-4884-8463-5ab1673f5fd6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4857720,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"UsingInteractiveReadingtosupportSELinPreschoolChildrenAugust20256.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/5f2e0249894b7ba6c101a428.docx"},{"id":93336053,"identity":"93d7d0fb-233f-47e0-8cf7-2724f569e4c2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3361,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ada3dce2eaf440ffbff916fb07cb05ea.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/3a3b9f47826fe1743161cb29.json"},{"id":93336054,"identity":"52df9a59-a0f1-4e68-8e5b-7f9309b7492d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":84539,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ada3dce2eaf440ffbff916fb07cb05ea1enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/b6b6aa479ce51c11c665fef3.xml"},{"id":93336062,"identity":"2668ccd5-bd85-4b7b-9b05-646c0cb82994","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"jpeg","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":79676,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/89577a5fde424fe46a9f404b.jpeg"},{"id":93336057,"identity":"7d2b8713-66e0-4a85-b910-7e31b7b225fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"jpeg","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":356640,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/9f4b375ee80a9489b4039d78.jpeg"},{"id":93336055,"identity":"25aaaf39-3d7f-4c9f-806f-a61b3fcf3a2d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":67283,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/8615754efa2cc36f3fe935ca.png"},{"id":93337842,"identity":"9ee0c900-d282-462d-bf9d-4fbe63194ebb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:11:30","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":104080,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/78801f9136b9a57e7850af7c.png"},{"id":93336061,"identity":"31fbaa1b-d751-4fb1-92b8-cc89f1aa8c2e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"xml","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":80079,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ada3dce2eaf440ffbff916fb07cb05ea1structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/b97147ac4803f30a77e72b3a.xml"},{"id":93337841,"identity":"72fd0990-2850-4dfb-940c-576526dfb957","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:11:30","extension":"html","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":89809,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/bcbdb70049dcd71178a9844d.html"},{"id":93336051,"identity":"59cf1b2d-6528-4417-b3c3-b4c66546d515","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:03:30","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":84427,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eExample of Perceptual Language Layers\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/0c761d58ea7acb8a290d89eb.png"},{"id":93337840,"identity":"45bb9af6-9721-44f9-80d2-59f52b782e5d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-12 14:11:30","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":220484,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Feeling Wheel\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/18f745811b880a2999017fb9.png"},{"id":96274953,"identity":"903f0ba4-d306-4c7c-af8e-c9342a0d36fd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 09:54:25","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":817781,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7216793/v1/918b5243-d7d3-4787-a4dd-0ecf42c13b18.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Using Interactive Reading to Support Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Children","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePublic schools report that student behavior has deteriorated since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. The National Center for Educational Statistics echoed this sentiment, reporting, \u0026ldquo;Eighty-seven percent of public schools agreed or strongly agreed that the pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development.\u0026rdquo; \u0026nbsp;Similarly, 84 percent of public schools noted that \u0026ldquo;the pandemic has negatively impacted behavioral development.\u0026rdquo; At the height of the pandemic, current preschoolers, babies, and toddlers missed critical opportunities to interact with peers, potentially impacting the development of foundational social-emotional skills (Egan et al., 2021). As a result, schools are turning to social-emotional (SEL) learning strategies and curricula to fill this gap.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Schools that focus on social-emotional learning report positive behavior results. According to Durlak and Mahoney (2019), \u0026ldquo;27% of students have improved academic performance, 24% have improved social behaviors and lower levels of distress, and 22% showed fewer conduct problems\u0026rdquo; (p. 2) when exposed to social-emotional learning classroom activities. Thus, Tussey and Hass (2021) also found that implementing social-emotional programs benefits students academically while improving classroom experience.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSocial Emotional Learning\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This framework categorizes SEL into five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning, n.d).\u0026nbsp;Social-emotional growth begins early in a child\u0026rsquo;s life and influences academic achievement, social competence, and mental health. A child\u0026rsquo;s ability to recognize and understand their own and others\u0026rsquo; emotional states and to interact effectively with others provides a critical foundation for continued social and academic success, including peer relationships and adjustment to school (Nakamichi et al., 2019; Poulou, 2019). Children with social and emotional challenges, on the other hand, are at increased risk of developing internalizing and externalizing disorders later in life (Essex et al., 2006; Lavigne et al., 1998).\u0026nbsp;While one may argue that children lacking foundational socioemotional skills most need the structure and support offered by a quality early childhood program, they are also more likely than their peers to be expelled from preschool\u0026nbsp;(Gilliam, 2005).\u0026nbsp;According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), each year, over 8,700 three- and four-year-old children are expelled from their state-funded preschool or pre-kindergarten classrooms. For all children, social-emotional learning is critical for overall child well-being (Denham, 2014.) It is one of the most important supporting elements for school and long-term life success (Morgan et al., 2008). One strategy that builds social-emotional skills is interactive reading-alouds. Pairing picture books and discussion enhances a child\u0026apos;s ability to use emotional language, which is why schools have begun to include social-emotional learning in their curriculum (Hofmann et al., 2012; Garner et al., 2018).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInteractive Reading\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Interactive reading is a process that improves language outcomes and creates a literacy learning foundation where the child is an active participant in the reading process (Lonigan et al., 2009). One systematic review described interactive reading as asking questions, noting illustrations, and making connections to other texts and a child\u0026rsquo;s experience (Grover et al., 2023). While many studies involving interactive reading focus on vocabulary and emergent literacy skills, this strategy is often overlooked for its ability to support or build social-emotional skills. Interactive reading supports children in developing SEL skills such as reflection, perspective-taking, and understanding social relationships (Browne, 1996); empathy and self-determination skills (Holm, 2012; Konrad et al., 2007); and language, creativity, problem-solving, and movement skills (Gabbei et al., 2005). In addition, studies conclude that perspective-taking, a key socio-emotional skill, is directly related to reading comprehension (Ebert, 2020). In their research on the effect of picture book reading on young children\u0026rsquo;s emotional regulation, Schoppmann et al. (2023) found that reading interactively to three-year-old children supported their use of emotional regulation strategies, specifically distraction in a waiting situation. Young children in the sample were, to some extent, able to transfer emotional regulation strategies from a picture book to their situation, suggesting picture book reading as a potential method to help children develop emotional language and skills. Other studies have found that interactive reading is associated with increased mental and emotional state talk and children\u0026rsquo;s socio-emotional competence (Baker, 2013; Betawi, 2015; Kohm et al., 2016). Finally, Aram and Schapira (2019) determined that parents\u0026rsquo; references to thoughts, emotions, and social situations during interactive readings developed preschoolers\u0026rsquo; empathy, prosocial attitudes, social coherence, and understanding of what causes emotions.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eWe propose that interactive reading supports children\u0026rsquo;s ability to understand and articulate emotions and recognize others\u0026rsquo; perspectives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated how interactive reading impacted preschool children\u0026rsquo;s social-emotional vocabulary development. The researchers paid attention to language use and recorded the number and complexity of social-emotional words used during a six-week study. The intent was to assess how many words and the complexity of words that children used to describe the emotions of the storybook characters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearch Questions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHow does interactive reading impact a child\u0026rsquo;s social-emotional vocabulary?\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHow does interactive reading impact the complexity of emotion-based words that children use?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eQualitative research design does not fit a specific data analysis mode (Hatch, 2002). Yet, it often includes observation, field notes, and video recordings. We engaged in interactive read-aloud with the children in small groups for six weeks. Each researcher read out loud using interactive strategies and took observational notes. A student researcher videotaped the read-aloud sessions. We analyzed every recorded session and transcript. While reading, we employed interactive methods and prompted children\u0026rsquo;s responses by asking open-ended questions and making follow-up comments. Finally, we provided positive reinforcement and related the story text to their real-life experiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSetting and Participants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study\u0026rsquo;s setting was a medium-sized public university-licensed childcare center in the Midwest. The NAEYC-accredited center serves one to five-year-old children of university faculty, staff, and students. The study employed convenience sampling as the participants were enrolled in the childcare center on the campus where one of the researchers worked. Twenty-three children were in the class. There were five, five-year-olds, and eighteen four-year-olds. Although there were twenty-three enrolled children, only 18 to 15 attended on the days the researchers read aloud. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse IRB approved this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Selection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHigh-quality picture books are distinguished by their fanciful and rich vocabulary and the ability to expand a child\u0026rsquo;s point of view (Niland, 2023). Quality texts also build empathy and help children begin to untangle what it means to be human (Kidd et al., 2013). Using criteria from Farkas et al. (2018), we chose books with emotional language and characters whose thoughts and social situations encouraged interactive discussions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe selected fiction picture books that paired well with an interactive read-aloud because of the understanding that \u0026ldquo;literary fiction has the power to develop social understanding, emotional literacy, and empathy in readers\u0026rdquo; (Clark et al., 2021, pg. 249). We previewed 100 books and looked for award winners such as Newbery, Caldecott, teachers\u0026apos; choice, and children\u0026rsquo;s choice awards that included emotional language and quality illustrations. We consulted university and public children\u0026rsquo;s literature librarians and multiple reputable sites such as the Children\u0026rsquo;s Book Council and the American Library Association (Table 1).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eInteractive Read-Aloud Titles and Authors\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"624\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTitle\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Grand Hotel of Feelings\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLidia Brankovic\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhat Feelings Do When No One\u0026rsquo;s Looking\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTina Oziewicz and Aleksandra Zajac\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Way I Feel\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJana Cain\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Way I Act\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSteve Metzger and Jana Cain\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWave\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuzy Lee\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Color Monster\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnna Llenas\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOut of a Jar\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDeborah Marcero\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe developed conceptual hierarchies using Typological analysis. \u0026nbsp;This data analysis method separates data into groups based on research purpose or theory (Hatch, 2002). The hierarchies helped organize video recording analysis. \u0026nbsp;For example, we noted the number of times students moved away from a perceptual category or a lexical range. We noted the number of times participants attached an emotional word to an experience. Finally, we observed the participants\u0026apos; ability to infer a character\u0026rsquo;s emotions.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearchers have used statistics to make claims about language. \u0026nbsp;Blatt (2017) wrote that by assigning numerical values to words, readers can identify \u0026ldquo;new trends, ideas, techniques, and wisdom that might be otherwise hidden\u0026rdquo; (pg. 219). As children grow, they learn to express and regulate their emotions differently. Ridgeway et al. (1985) noted that children articulate four primary emotions: joy, sadness, anger, and fear. \u0026nbsp;These researchers also emphasized that basic emotions are universal and help children communicate their needs and experiences before they develop complex language skills (1985). This research guided our analysis.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eHumans use language to share their understanding of the world. We identified the ways read-aloud impacted preschoolers\u0026apos; social-emotional language use in three ways.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerceptual Categories\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, we identified perceptual language categories using the four categories identified by Ridgeway et al. (1985) and the Brown Med-Peds Self-Care Emotion Wheel (Brown Residency, n.d). Humans chunk information into vast interconnected file systems and develop perceptual categories to organize these files (Madole et al., 1999). This system allows the brain to retrieve information systematically and efficiently. These information chunks or layers have labels and represent the most general term for the information chunk. For example, humans organize everything they understand about birds into one layer and label it \u0026ldquo;bird.\u0026rdquo; Similarly, humans chunk common emotional language and label each emotional chunk with the most common or general term. For instance, \u0026quot;happy\u0026quot; represents a perceptual category. It is the most basic term for one human emotion. As humans develop, they add complex terms or layers to describe the happy feeling such as\u0026rdquo; joyful and playful.\u0026rdquo; Adding items and developing layers demonstrates linguistic complexity. Thus, we used this understanding to count the number of times students moved away from the perceptual language label or most common term and used more complex terms (Figure 1).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCircumplex Model Analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to identifying perceptual layers, we examined the words children used during each read-aloud. Consistent with research on children\u0026rsquo;s articulation of four primary emotions (Ridgeway et al., 1985; Yik et al., 2011), we noticed that the children used iterations of the terms \u0026lsquo;happy\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;sad\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;mad\u0026rsquo; and \u0026lsquo;afraid\u0026rsquo; to describe both their emotions and those of characters. We aligned those as follows: happy/pleasure, sad/displeasure, mad/displeasure, afraid/displeasure (Russell, 1980). \u0026nbsp;We also acknowledge that neuroscientists use a circumplex model to describe complementary behaviors plotted on two axes: assertive and submissive, cold and compassionate, or \u0026ldquo;using a linear combination of pleasure-displeasure and high to low arousal (Posner, 2005). Thus, we used this knowledge and plotted preschool word use in a circumplex diagram. This analysis identified complementary word use patterns at the beginning and end of the study. We found that participants increased the number and complexity in the upper left and lower right quadrants. Thus, students identified more character emotions related to unpleasant assertive and pleasant submissive behavior. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, we determined that children expressed and aligned motions with unpleasant emotions. Children articulated nine emotions in the \u0026lsquo;afraid\u0026rsquo; category, and in the \u0026lsquo;sad\u0026rsquo; category, children identified eight emotions. Comparatively, they identified five emotions in the \u0026lsquo;happy\u0026rsquo; category. Finally, we categorize and analyze the types of vocabulary that participants used to describe feelings.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInferences\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaking inferences is crucial to developing critical thinking. Children with strong critical thinking skills successfully untangle daily life and academic challenges because inference skills improve social cue interpretation and develop reading comprehension skills. Next, making inferences is vital in developing mental models (Currie, 2019). These models are information systems stored in long-term memory that help humans understand, reason, and predict events, experiences, and knowledge (Genter, 2001). Interactive read-alouds helped students develop mental models related to text and make connections. \u0026nbsp;Thus, during the read-aloud, participants connected their experiences to a text\u0026rsquo;s character, which, as they matured, improved their ability to infer thoughts and feelings. Our research found that the read-aloud provided space for participants to explore and articulate these connections. Finally, students identified feelings and predicted why the character felt a certain way. We identified two ways students made inferences. First, participants connected experiences to the words to describe the character\u0026rsquo;s actions eight times. Table 2 illustrates these results. Next, we identified how the participants connected personal experiences to words used in the text. Table 3 illustrates these results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 2\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eParticipants\u0026apos; Inferences: Connections to Character Actions\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"624\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmotion Word\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInference\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSorry\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;He did not know what he did.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eInterested\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Maybe he is at the doctor.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eShy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Shy is when you try to hide.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBored\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;He is looking for something to do.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Bored is a part of a feeling like in \u003cem\u003eInside Out.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSurprised\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Maybe he sees seashells.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHappy-Shy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;He has two feelings.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWorried (card 9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I do this when I am calm.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCurious\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I am curious because I am going camping.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eParticipants\u0026rsquo; Inferences: Connections to Personal Experience\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"624\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduced Word\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInference\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eexuberant\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLike when you get to go to the ice cream shop.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003econfident\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhen you can do something.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eshame\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLike, when you feel sad when someone is mad at you.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ecompassion\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLike when people feel happy when you help them.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003egrateful\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 312px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLike, because they help you get through something that you couldn\u0026rsquo;t do. They say, yeah, you can do it. You just gotta keep trying.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVocabulary Impact\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur study focused on two research questions. First: In what ways does interactive read-aloud impact social-emotional vocabulary? Second: How does interactive reading affect children\u0026rsquo;s emotional vocabulary complexity? We observed that students expanded their social-emotional vocabulary while describing characters. Over time, participants increased the variety of emotional words they used. For instance, after introducing words like \u0026ldquo;gratitude, curious, and thankful,\u0026rdquo; children used them to describe character actions in subsequent sessions. This indicated a shift from common adjectives such as \u0026ldquo;happy\u0026rdquo; to more complex and precise words. We also noted that children generally responded with more specific feeling descriptions when prompted through discussion, suggesting that interactive read-aloud contributed to deeper thinking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaking Inferences\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe read-aloud provided a discussion platform for children to connect with characters. Psychologists describe the phenomenon as \u0026ldquo;character bonding.\u0026rdquo; Psychologists explained that this bonding promotes trust and builds healthy student/reader/text relationships. It encourages children to link their emotions to those of the characters. For example, one participant said, \u0026ldquo;I think he is interested; maybe he is going to the doctor.\u0026rdquo; \u0026nbsp;Another participant noted, \u0026quot;She is bored because she is looking for something to do.\u0026rdquo; Research indicates that deepening a child\u0026apos;s ability to identify emotions supports healthy mental states (Hyson 2004). Thus, the read-aloud allowed students to identify human emotional ranges and use complex words to express feelings and needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommendations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe identified a gap in professional social-emotional vocabulary tools. For example, we used the Brown med-ped self-care wheel as a guide. It includes seven perceptual categories and two levels of conceptually complex words. However, three-fourths of the wheel identified negative linguistic labels. The overabundance of negative words is contrary to the science of social-emotional learning. We want to teach students that emotions are not good or bad, but human emotions. Labeling emotions positive, negative, or neutral is contrary to this goal. Therefore, we used the Brown med-ped self-care wheel as a foundation for developing a new emotion wheel. Our wheel includes words based on our research results and aligned with language typical to a four/to five-year-old child. Teachers, parents, and mental health professionals can use our Preschool Emotions wheel to help 3\u0026ndash;5-year-olds name their emotions without judgment and develop a precise social-emotional vocabulary. Figure 2 illustrates this emotional wheel.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFurther Research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe noted that participants labeled emotions using colors. We hypothesized that the current film, \u003cem\u003eInside Out\u003c/em\u003e, contributed to this. Participants connected characters from that movie to the emotions they described and the characters they saw during Read-Aloud. Because of this, we also noted how preschoolers attributed negative emotions to dark colors. We wondered about further research on the connection of color, emotions, mental health, and bias. We also identified the tendency of children to identify unpleasant emotions more frequently than pleasant emotions. This warrants further investigation. Finally, we noted a gap in quality, developmentally appropriate picture books that engage students with social-emotional vocabulary.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimitations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipant attendance impacted this study. Either students were absent or arrived mid-session and disrupted the reading. Furthermore, two other occurrences disrupted the read-aloud. One, a presidential candidate campus visit, and two, Halloween preparations.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the impact of interactive reading on preschoolers' emotional vocabulary. It focused on the frequency and complexity of words used during group discussion. Over six weeks, researchers engaged in interactive reading with a group of 4\u0026ndash;5-year-old children in a preschool setting. Observational notes and video recordings captured responses and analyzed for emotional vocabulary. We determined that throughout the study, children used more complex and nuanced vocabulary to describe their emotions and made inferences about character's emotions. We also noted that children frequently described emotions that are considered unpleasant. We identified a gap in feeling word resources for this age group; thus, we created a \u003cem\u003eFeel Wheel\u003c/em\u003e tailored to young children based on the vocabulary introduced and used by study participants. While this study was limited to the children present at each session, our findings suggest that engaging children in interactive reading fosters emotional literacy by encouraging children to use complex vocabulary in understanding and articulating emotions. This study highlights the importance of interactive read-aloud strategies for supporting children\u0026rsquo;s emotional development in early childhood education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics Statement:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study underwent expedited review in accordance with 45 CFR 46.110(b)(1)(ii). The review was conducted under the ethical oversight of the University of Wisconsin\u0026ndash;La Crosse Institutional Review Board (IRB), chaired by Dr. Katherine Kortenkamp, and the Viterbo University IRB, chaired by Dr. Patti Johnstone. A reliance agreement between the two universities outlined the responsibilities of each institution. The study protocol received formal approval from the University of Wisconsin\u0026ndash;La Crosse IRB. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the UWL IRB and with applicable national and institutional regulations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Declaration:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo funding was received to support the preparation of this manuscript.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuman Ethics and Consent to Participate declarations:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and Viterbo University Institutional Review Boards. Informed consent was obtained from all participants\u0026apos; legal guardians prior to participation.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eT\u003c/strong\u003ehe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publish Declaration:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis manuscript does not contain any individual person\u0026rsquo;s data in any form (including individual details, images, or videos), and therefore, consent to publish is not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contribution:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrs. Val Krage and Melinda Langeberg were equally involved in the conceptualization, methodology, data collection and analysis and writing of this manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAram, D., \u0026amp; Schapira, R. (2019). Shared book reading at home and preschoolers\u0026apos; socio-emotional competence. \u003cem\u003eEarly Child Development and Care\u003c/em\u003e, 189(10), 1664\u0026ndash;1676. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1692624\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBaker, C., Arndt, H., \u0026amp; Tripp, L. (2012). Parent-child interactive reading and its impact on \u003cbr\u003eemotional and social development. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Child Development\u003c/em\u003e, 83(2), 312-324. \u003cbr\u003e https://doi.org/10.1037/cdc1002\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBetawi, M. (2015). The impact of shared reading on the socio-emotional development of young \u003cbr\u003echildren. \u003cem\u003eEarly Childhood Education Review\u003c/em\u003e, 35(4), 235-246. \u003cbr\u003e https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ececd.2015.03.013\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrown Med-Peds Residency. (n.d.). Self-Care: Name It to Tame It. Retrieved from https://brownmedpedsresidency.org/self-care-name-it-to-tame-it/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrowne A (1996) \u003cem\u003eDeveloping language and literac\u003c/em\u003ey 3-8. London: Paul Chapman Publishing\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlatt, B. (2017). \u003cem\u003eNabokov\u0026apos;s favorite word is mauve: What the numbers reveal about the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing\u003c/em\u003e. Simon and Schuster.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClark, C. T., Chrisman, A., \u0026amp; Lewis, S. G. (2021). Using picture books to teach with and against social and emotional learning. \u003cem\u003eLanguage Arts\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e98\u003c/em\u003e(5), 246-259.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (n.d.). \u003cem\u003eWhat is SEL?\u003c/em\u003e. Egan, S.M., Pope, J., Moloney, M. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2021) Missing Early Education and Care During the Pandemic: The Socio-Emotional Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Young Children. \u003cem\u003eEarly Childhood Educ J\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e49\u003c/strong\u003e, 925\u0026ndash;934. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01193-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDurlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., \u0026amp; Boyle, A. E. (2022). What we know, and what we need to find out about universal, school-based social and emotional learning programs for children and adolescents: A review of meta-analyses and directions for future research. \u003cem\u003ePsychological Bulletin\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e148\u003c/em\u003e(11-12), 765.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDenham, S. A., \u0026amp; Zinsser, K. M. (2014). Social and emotional learning during early childhood. \u003cem\u003eEncyclopedia of primary prevention and health promotion\u003c/em\u003e, 925-935.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEbert, S. (2020). Theory of mind, language, and reading: Developmental relations from early childhood to early adolescence. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Experimental Child Psychology\u003c/em\u003e, 191, 104739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104739\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEssex, M. J., Kraemer, H. C., Slattery, M. J., Burk, L. R., Boyce, W. T., Woodward, H. R., \u0026amp; Kupfer, D. J. (2006). Screening for childhood mental health problems: Outcomes and early identification. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47\u003c/em\u003e(1), 16-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01447.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFarkas, C., Santelices, M. P., Vallotton, C. D., Brophy-Herb, H. E., Iglesias, M., Sieverson, C., \u003cbr\u003eFettig, A., Cook, A. L., Morizio, L., Gould, K., \u0026amp; Brodsky, L. (2018). Using dialogic reading strategies to promote social-emotional skills for young students: An exploratory case study in an after-school program. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Early Childhood Research: ECR\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e16\u003c/em\u003e(4), 436\u0026ndash;448.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGabbei, R., \u0026amp; Clemmens H (2005) Creative movement from children\u0026rsquo;s storybooks: going beyond pantomime. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Physical Education, Recreation \u0026amp; Dance\u003c/em\u003e 76: 32\u0026ndash;37. Crossref.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGarner, P. W., \u0026amp; Parker, T. S. (2018). Young children\u0026rsquo;s picture-books as a forum for the socialization of emotion. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Early Childhood Research\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e16\u003c/em\u003e(3), 291-304.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenter, D. (2001) Mental models. \u003cem\u003eInternational Encyclopedia of the Social \u0026amp; Behavioral Sciences.\u003c/em\u003e https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01487-X. (ditor(s): Neil J. Smelser, Paul B. Baltes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGilliam, W. S. (2005). Pre-kindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten programs. \u003cem\u003eFoundation for Child Development.\u003c/em\u003e Retrieved from https://fcd-us.org/resources/prekindergarteners-left-behind-expulsion-rates-state-prekindergarten-programs/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGr\u0026oslash;ver, V., Snow, C. E., Evans, L., \u0026amp; Str\u0026oslash;mme, H. (2023). Overlooked advantages of interactive book reading in early childhood? A systematic review and research agenda. \u003cem\u003eActa Psychologica\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e239\u003c/em\u003e, 103997.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHatch, J. A. (2002). \u003cem\u003eDoing qualitative research in education settings\u003c/em\u003e. State University of New York Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., \u0026amp; Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. \u003cem\u003eCognitive Therapy and Research\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e36\u003c/em\u003e(5), Springer New York LLC. 427\u0026ndash;440. doi;https://doi. org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHolm D (2012) Exploring environmental empathy in action with children\u0026rsquo;s books. \u003cem\u003eReading \u003cbr\u003e Improvement\u003c/em\u003e 49(4): 134\u0026ndash;139.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHyson, M. 2004. The emotional development of young children: Building an emotion-centered curriculum, 2nd ed. Teachers College Press\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKidd, D. C., \u0026amp; Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. \u003cem\u003eScience, \u003cbr\u003e 342\u003c/em\u003e(6156), 377-380\u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239918 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKohm, D., Miller, J., \u0026amp; Rogers, A. (2023). The impact of interactive shared book reading on \u003cbr\u003echildren\u0026apos;s language skills: A randomized controlled trial. \u003cem\u003eEarly Childhood Research \u003cbr\u003e Quarterly\u003c/em\u003e, 40(1), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.11.010Konrad M., Helf S., Itoi, M. (2007) Using children\u0026rsquo;s literature to promote self-determination and literacy skills. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTeaching Exceptional Children\u003c/em\u003e 40: 64\u0026ndash;71. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage and Reading Research Consortium, Currie, N. K., \u0026amp; Muijselaar, M. M. L. (2019). Inference making in young children: The concurrent and longitudinal contributions of verbal working memory and vocabulary. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Educational Psychology, 111\u003c/em\u003e(8), 1416\u0026ndash;1431. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000342\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLavigne, J. V., Gibbons, R. D., Christoffel, K. K., Arend, R., Rosenbaum, D., Binns, H., Dawson, N., Sobel, H., \u0026amp; Isaacs, C. (1998). Prevalence rates and correlates of psychiatric disorders among preschool children. \u003cem\u003eJournal of the American Academy of Child \u0026amp; Adolescent Psychiatry, 37\u003c/em\u003e(2), 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199802000-00012\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLonigan, C. J., \u0026amp; Shanahan, T. (2009). Developing early literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel. Executive summary. A Scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications for intervention. \u003cem\u003eNational Institute for Literacy\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadole, K. L., \u0026amp; Oakes, L. M. (1999). From Perceptual Categories to Concepts: What Develops? \u003cem\u003eMerrill-Palmer Quarterly\u003c/em\u003e, 45(1), 1\u0026ndash;33\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNakamichi, K., Nakamichi, N., \u0026amp; Nakazawa, J. (2019). Preschool social-emotional competencies predict school adjustment in Grade 1. \u003cem\u003eEarly Child Development and Care\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e4\u003c/em\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;14. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1608978 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNational Associate for the Education of Young Child (NAEYC). (2017). Standing together against suspension \u0026amp; expulsion in early childhood-Joint Statement. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNational Center for Educational Statistics. (2022, July 12). \u003cem\u003eA review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Outcomes for different student populations and settings (part 4 of 4). \u003c/em\u003ehttps://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=REL2017248\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNiland, A. (2023). Picture Books, Imagination and Play: Pathways to Positive Reading Identities for Young Children. \u003cem\u003eEducation Sciences\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e13\u003c/em\u003e(5), 511. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050511\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePosner J, Russell JA, Peterson BS. (2005). The circumplex model of affect: an integrative approach to affective neuroscience, cognitive development, and psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol. Summer;17(3):715-34. doi:10.1017/S0954579405050340. PMID: 16262989; PMCID: PMC2367156.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoulou, M. S. (2019). Emotion knowledge and social and emotional competence: A preliminary study of preschool and first-grade Greek students. \u003cem\u003eHellenic Journal of Psychology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e16\u003c/em\u003e, 22\u0026ndash;42. https://ind01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/? url=https%3A%2F%2Fpseve.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F04%2FVolume16_Issue1_Maria_Poulou. pdf\u0026amp;data=02%7C01%7Caravind.devanathan%40integra.co.in%7Cc2dcf70f7a51475e720d08d80659a5e8% 7C70e2bc386b4b43a19821a49c0a744f3d%7C0%7C1% \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRidgeway, D., Waters, E., \u0026amp; Kuczaj, S. A. (1985). Acquisition of emotion-descriptive language: Receptive and productive vocabulary norms for ages 18 months to 6 years. \u003cem\u003eDevelopmental Psychology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e21\u003c/em\u003e(5), 901.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchoppmann, J., Severin, F., Schneider, S., \u0026amp; Seehagen, S. (2023). The effect of picture book reading on young children\u0026rsquo;s use of an emotion regulation strategy. \u003cem\u003ePlos one\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e18\u003c/em\u003e(8), e0289403.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTussey, J., \u0026amp; Haas, L. (Eds.). (2021). \u003cem\u003eHandbook of research on supporting social and emotional development through literacy education\u003c/em\u003e. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7464-5\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYik, M., Russell, J. A., \u0026amp; Steiger, J. H. (2011). A 12-point circumplex structure of core affect. \u003cem\u003eEmotion, 11\u003c/em\u003e(4), 705\u0026ndash;731. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023980\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Interactive Reading, Social-Emotional Learning, Social-Emotional Vocabulary, Preschool, Children’s Literature","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis qualitative study examined the impact of interactive reading aloud on preschool children's social-emotional vocabulary. It focused on children's word complexity and frequency. Over five sessions, 18 4-5-year-old children participated in an interactive read-aloud approach. Transcripts and video recordings were analyzed using typological analysis. The findings developed insights into how children use emotional vocabulary to describe experiences. It includes an updated social-emotional feeling wheel based on young children's emotional vocabulary.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Using Interactive Reading to Support Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Children","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-12 14:03:25","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7216793/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"6fcfbddc-fbbc-4fda-8bf3-64c87163c7bd","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 12th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-19T09:54:15+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-12 14:03:25","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7216793","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7216793","identity":"rs-7216793","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}