Early literacy support through educational media and shared reading
Official title: Efficacy and Mechanisms of Media and Storybook Interventions to Promote Children's Early Literacy Skills Via Caregiver Engagement
Run by Ohio State University · NCT06796790 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will see if caregiver-led educational media activities help children ages 42–57 months improve early literacy skills compared with shared book reading or no intervention.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 42 Months to 57 Months |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 450 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Ohio State University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Columbus, Ohio) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 11, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2029 |
| Study ends | August 31, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | February 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06796790 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Children aged 42 to 57 months who are minimally verbal in English, with caregivers sufficiently proficient in English and without severe intellectual disability.
✕Probably not a fit
Children outside the 42–57 month age range, those with severe intellectual disability, or families not proficient in English are unlikely to benefit from or be eligible for this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The trial compares a caregiver-led media-based early literacy intervention to a matched shared book reading intervention and to a no-intervention control using an implementation science framework. Researchers will measure social validity (acceptability and fit), caregiver adherence (frequency and dosage), and child early literacy gains immediately after the program and over time. Interventions are delivered in the home context with materials aligned across conditions to isolate whether media use reduces barriers to caregiver implementation. The study aims to test whether increased adherence via media-based activities leads to improved child literacy outcomes, particularly for families facing barriers to shared reading.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the media-based approach could increase caregiver participation in literacy activities and improve children's early literacy trajectories, especially for families who face barriers to shared book reading.
How similar studies have gone: Caregiver-implemented shared reading has prior evidence of benefit, but media-based caregiver-led literacy interventions are less tested and this trial is among the first to directly compare the two approaches.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * between 42 and 57 months at enrollment * minimally verbal in English * caregiver sufficiently proficient in English * does not have severe intellectual disability Exclusion Criteria: * under 42 months * over 57 months at enrollment * severe intellectual disability * not proficient in English
Where it's running
-
The Ohio State University Crane Center for Early Childhood
Columbus, Ohio, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Rebecca A Dore, PhD — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Eileen L Donnally, Master of Science
- Email: donnally.7@osu.edu
- Phone: 614-247-5897
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.