Contribution of Topic Background Knowledge to Language Learning Outcomes through Parent–child Dialogic Reading

Abstract The article explored the impact of topic background knowledge (TBK) on children's language ability development and reading‐related emotional factors. TBK refers to the foundational knowledge that children possess concerning a specific subject or topic. The content schemata theory suggests that a high level of TBK facilitates information processing during reading activities, benefiting language learning outcomes, fostering reading interest, and reducing reading anxiety. The current study used experts' evaluation of TBK levels that children might have towards books, children's key cue predictions, eye‐tracking indicators, and topic‐related knowledge test to select low‐level TBK books that children had. A total of 346 kindergarteners and their parents were selected and randomly divided into four groups across TBK levels (high level vs. low level) that children had in selected books, and the parent–child interactive reading approach [Dialogic reading (DR) vs. Typical reading (TR)]. This study enhanced children TBK through pre‐learning activities which provided relevant information related to the target book content. The high‐level TBK children received relevant knowledge pre‐learning activities towards books used in formal reading intervention, while low‐level TBK children received irrelevant knowledge pre‐learning activities to counterbalance. The children were pretested on their receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading interest, and reading anxiety. After an eight‐week intervention, a posttest was administered to assess the same measures. The results showed that both TBK and parent–child interactive reading approach enhanced children's language development via book reading activities. Furthermore, a pre‐learning activity is an appropriate approach to enhance the level of TBK. This study extended the application of the content schemata theory in parent–child reading activities and highlighted the importance of TBK in parent–child reading.