The Effect of Live, TV, and Audio Story Narration on Primary Grade Children’s Listening Comprehension 1

Abstract

Two hundred forty-seven K-3 grade children’s listening comprehension of a storytelling program was evaluated across three modes of presentation: "live", videotape, and audio cassette. The program included a multiple-choice test of objective comprehension answered in individual workbooks. Story, narration, and questions were identical in each mode of presentation. Listening improved significantly over age (p .001). Mode of presentation significantly affected comprehension performance (p .005), with performance highest for videotape and lowest for audio cassette modes. “Live” presentation was substantially less effective than videotape of identical narration. Data suggest that children’s listening comprehension is substantially influenced by presentation variables. Increasing utilization of video and/or audio teaching materials not systematically evaluated emphasizes the necessity for further research into presentation and other instructional variables.