Enhancing Chinese reading in ethnic minority kindergarteners in Hong Kong: A bioecological approach to shared book reading interventions

Shared book reading is a fundamental component in learning of Chinese as a second language (L2), but its effectiveness requires further empirical exploration and support. Scholars emphasise the examination of both parental and child characteristics alongside school-based interventions. Guided by the bioecological framework, this study included three groups: an experimental group of ethnic minority³ kindergarteners in Hong Kong and two control groups of L2 and first language (L1) Chinese children⁴. A sixteen-week shared book intervention was implemented. ANOVA and MANCOVA analyses of data from 161 children and 35 parents showed significant gains in metalinguistic awareness and word and text reading among the experimental group. The structured intervention was particularly effective in enhancing metalinguistic awareness, enabling L2 children to perform similarly to L1 children in post-tests. Additionally, fathers’ oral proficiency in Chinese and children’s use of ethnic languages positively impacted word and text reading. This study enriches the bioecological framework and offers insights for promoting L2 Chinese reading.