The Effect of Pictures in Books for Beginning Readers: Attention Allocation, Reading Fluency, and Reading Comprehension in K-2 Students

在儿童阅读教材中使用插图的做法可以追溯到250多年前。近年来，为初级读者提供的书籍中的插图比过去变得越来越丰富多彩和引人入胜。然而，几乎没有研究评估文本近距离接触彩色插图对新兴读写技能的影响。然而，有理论和经验上的理由相信，在初学读者的书中，靠近文字的彩色插图可能会干扰（而不是帮助）新兴的读写技能。本研究将探讨(1)对于初学读者来说，文本与插图的紧密靠近是否会造成注意力资源的竞争，从而干扰阅读的流畅性和理解；(2)如何优化面向初级读者的书籍布局，减少对注意力资源的竞争，从而提高初级读者的阅读流畅性和理解力。为了解决这些问题，本项目将使用便携式眼动追踪设备来检查从幼儿园到二年级的儿童在阅读为初级读者设计的书籍时的注意力分配模式。具体来说，研究人员将测量从文本到插图的目光转移的次数，以及孩子们花在看文本和插图上的总时间。据推测，频繁的目光从文字转移到插图表明儿童被插图分散了注意力。此外，研究人员将收集阅读流畅性和阅读理解的测量方法。在一系列的六项研究中，研究人员将比较儿童在阅读市售书籍和修改版相同书籍时的注意力和阅读表现。对市售图书的修改旨在优化文本和插图的布局，以减少对注意力资源的竞争。据预测，修改后的图书版式将降低读者的视线从文字转向插图的频率，提高阅读的流畅性和理解力。总体而言，该项目有可能揭示低成本和易于扩展的基本原则，以实现阅读材料的最佳设计，以提高初级读者的读写能力。

The practice of using illustrations in materials for teaching children to read dates back over 250 years. In recent years, illustrations in books for beginning readers have become increasingly more colorful and engaging than in the past. Yet, there is virtually no research evaluating the effect of close proximity of text to colorful engaging illustrations on emerging literacy skills. However, there are theoretical and empirical reasons to believe that engaging colorful illustrations placed in close proximity to text in books for beginning readers may interfere with (rather that aid) emerging literacy skills. This research will examine (1) whether close proximity of text to illustrations, a typical layout in books for beginning readers, creates competition for attentional resources, thus interfering with reading fluency and comprehension; and (2) how the layout of books for beginning readers can be optimized to reduce competition for attentional resources and thus improve fluency and comprehension in beginning readers. To address these questions, this project will use portable eye tracking devices to examine the patterns of attention allocation as children in kindergarten through second grade read books designed for beginning readers. Specifically, researchers will measure the number of gaze shifts from text to illustrations and the total time children spend looking at text and illustrations. It is hypothesized that frequent gaze shifts from text to illustrations are indicative of children being distracted by illustrations. Additionally, researchers will collect measures of reading fluency and reading comprehension. In a series of six studies, researchers will compare performance on measures of attention and reading when children read commercially available books to modified versions of the same books. The modifications to commercially available books will be aimed at optimizing the layout of text and illustrations to reduce competition for attentional resources. It is predicted that modified book layouts will lead to decreased frequency of gaze shifts from text to illustrations, and increased reading fluency and comprehension. Overall, this project has potential to uncover low-cost and easy to scale basic principles to achieve optimal design of reading materials to improve literacy skills of beginning readers.