We are stronger together: The impact of dialogic reading with robots on children's mathematical language and numeracy skills

Background: Dialogic reading (DR) is an evidence-based approach that promotes children's language development through rich and meaningful social interactions. As humanoid robots with advanced capabilities for simultaneous interaction become increasingly integrated into children's lives, they may provide unique affordances in shared reading contexts. Aims: This study examines (a) the impact of DR with robots on children's mathematical language and numeracy outcomes, and (b) the relative effectiveness of different reading paradigms. Method: 203 Chinese kindergartners (M_age = 63.97 months; 58% girls; 100% Han Chinese) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: parent-guided DR, robot-guided DR, parent-robot collaborative DR (implemented using a Wizard-of-Oz procedure in which a research assistant remotely operated the robot), or an active control involving parent-child reading without DR prompts. The intervention spanned four weeks and comprised four researcher-developed mathematical storybooks, each read twice weekly. Children's mathematical language and numeracy were assessed at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. Results: The parent-robot collaborative reading condition resulted in the greatest proximal improvements in mathematical language and distal gains in numeracy, with effects sustained at the delayed posttest. Although robot-guided reading condition also enhanced mathematical language at both assessment points, the improvements were smaller and did not extend to numeracy. Conclusion: This study extends prior work by demonstrating that reading with robots can foster children's mathematical development. The findings highlight the consistent benefits of collaborative parent-robot reading and mixed effects of robot-only reading. Implications for the design of robotic technologies and their integration into shared reading contexts are discussed.