Reading Versus Playing: Effects of Interactive Parent-Child Reading and Playing Number Board Games on Language and Cognitive Gains Among Preschoolers

Based on a randomized controlled trial, we showed that both dialogic reading and parent-child interaction through playing number board games enhanced preschoolers’ verbal working memory, inferencing ability, and listening comprehension. Our results suggested that the interactivity in parent-child interaction may underlie the language and cognitive gains resulted from these activities.