The benefits of early book-sharing study

Primary outcome measures as of 27/07/2016:
1. Child language is assessed using the:
1.1. MacArthur Communication Development Inventory (CDI) expressive and receptive subscales are administered at baseline, post-intervention and at the 6-month follow up
1.2. Child comprehension and expressive language are directly assessed using adapted versions of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test at baseline and post-intervention
1.3. The newly developed standardised isiXhosa version of the Peabody will be administered at the 6-month follow-up assessment, as will the Bayley Scale of Infant Development language sub-scales
2. Child attention is assessed, using the Early Childhood Vigilance Task, at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at the six month follow-up.
3. Child pro-social behaviour is assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and a pro-social helping task, at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up.
4. Child aggression is assessed, using the aggression scale of the Child Behaviour Checklist, at baseline, immediately following the intervention and at six-month follow-up. Direct measures of child aggression and defiance/non-compliance are obtained from coded video data of two parent-child interaction tasks: a “Don’t touch” prohibition task, and a “Clean up” compliance task. These are administered at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up.

Original primary outcome measures:
1. Child language (MacArthur Communication Development Inventory – expressive and receptive language sub scales, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Bayley Scale of Infant Development - language sub scales) immediately following the intervention and at a six month follow-up
2. Child attention (Early Childhood Vigilance Task), immediately following the intervention and at a six month follow-up
2. Child pro-social behaviour/aggression (Child Behaviour Checklist, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Pro-social helping task), immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up

Secondary outcome measures as of 27/07/2016:
1. Child social understanding is measured by:
1.1. The Wellman Theory of Mind Scale is administered at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and the six-month follow-up
1.2. An emotion recognition and emotion understanding pictorial task is administered at the six-month follow-up assessment
2. Parental sensitivity and reciprocity is assessed, by direct observation of parent and child parent and child in both a book-sharing and a non-book sharing context, at base-line, immediately following the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up
3. Parental discipline is assessed, using a discipline and violence self report questionnaire, at baseline, immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up. Parenting is also directly assessed in a prohibition and compliance task, at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up

Moderators:
The influence of three potential moderators will be examined, with assessments made at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up:
1. Parental stress, using the Parenting Stress Index
2. Caregiver mental health, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20
3. Intimate partner violence, using the WHO measure on domestic violence

Exploratory Outcome Measures:
1. Mental State Talk will be coded from video recordings of interactions during book-sharing, and during a narrative cartoon task, with assessments made at baseline, immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up
2. The child’s home language environment will be assessed, in a sub-sample, using a LENA digital recorder that captures language heard by the child over the course of a typical day, with assessment made at a six-month follow-up
3. The child’s physiological response to emotional displays (i.e. pictures of happy, sad, fearful, angry children) is being assessed, in a sub-sample, using a functional infra-red thermal imaging camera, with assessments made at baseline and at six-month follow-up



Original secondary outcome measures:
1. Child social understanding (Wellman Theory of Mind Scale, Emotion recognition task) immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up
2. Parental sensitivity (Direct observation of parent and child in free-play, clean up task, don’t touch task, narrative cartoon explanation, and book sharing. Immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up
3. Parental discipline (Discipline and violence self report questionnaire, Directly observed parenting in a prohibition task). Immediately following the intervention and at a six-month follow-up

Moderators:

1. Parental stress (Parenting Stress Index)
2. Caregiver mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Self Reporting Questionnaire-20)
3. Intimate partner violence (WHO measure on domestic violence)