Mind mapping during interactive book reading: Does it contribute to children's language abilities?

The aim of the current study was to investigate if children's language abilities could be improved using a mind mapping approach during interactive book reading. Previous research has shown that visual aids like mind maps are effective in supporting students to get a better grasp of the content, structure and concepts of a text (Birbili, 2006; Darch & Eaves, 198 6). Graphic organisers offer students a framework to relate new knowledge to existing knowledge, which supports the processing of new information (Carney & Levin, 2002; Vekiri, 2002). However, the effect of mind mapping on children's language abilities has not yet been investigated. According to the sociocultural perspective on learning, learning is established when students jointly construct meaning. This can be accomplished through interactive reading during which a teacher and students collaboratively construct a mind map of the story. A pre -post -test -control group -design was used to evaluate if mind mapping during interactive book reading was more effective compared to traditional interactive book reading. Ethical approval was obtained from the authors' Faculty. Prior to the study, participating teachers were informed about the purpose and the procedures of the research. Active informed consent was asked from children's parents. Results indicate that mind mapping has an effect on children's vocabulary knowledge and listening skills. This study shows that the use of mind maps to improve children's language abilities is promising. Teachers are enthusiastic about working with mind maps, they experience that mind maps provide students with a better overview of the structure of the story.