Author(s)

XuPing Zhang^1,2*, Min Zhang³

Affiliation(s)

¹Faculty of Early Childhood Education, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, Jiangsu, China.

²International Education Management, Woosong University, Daejeon 34606, Republic of Korea.

³Nanjing No.1 Kindergarten, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China.

Corresponding Author

XuPing Zhang

ABSTRACT

This study examines the relationship between children's storytelling abilities and reading behavior, comparing those with high and low abilities. Using the Matthew Effect, it suggests that children with high skills demonstrate greater engagement and attention in reading, strengthening their language and reading abilities through feedback loops. Twenty kindergarteners were assessed for narrative skills, and four were selected for six weeks of observation to record reading during self-directed activities. Results showed that high-picture-reading kids showed stronger interest and better attention, while low-picture-reading kids showed less interest, poor attention, and more distracted reading. This finding confirms the positive relationship between reading and storytelling and reading behavior in children, validating the Matthew effect. The researcher suggests three targeted educational recommendations.

KEYWORDS

Pictorial storytelling; Reading behavior; Language skills; Matthew effect

CITE THIS PAPER

XuPing Zhang, Min Zhang. The relationship between young children's graphic narrative skills and reading behavior: insights from the Matthew effect. Educational Research and Human Development. 2025, 2(1): 34-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/erhd3030.

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