Element contents
Language Assessments for Preschool Children
Validity and Reliability of Two New Instruments Administered by Childcare Educators
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 July 2022
Summary
This Element has two main purposes. Firstly, it discusses purposes, advantages, and disadvantages as well as the challenges of different formats of language assessment, concluding with a focus on educator-administered language assessment in early childhood and education programs. It addresses the selection of assessment domains, the trade-off between brevity and precision, the challenge of assessing bilinguals, and accommodating the requirements of funders (e.g., government agencies) and users (e.g., educators and schools). It draws on lessons learned from developing two instruments for a national Danish-language and preliteracy assessment program. Secondly, it introduces those two educator-administered instruments-Language Assessment 3-6 (LA 3-6) and Language Assessment 2-year-olds (LA 2)-with respect to content, norming, gender and socioeconomic influences as well as psychometric qualities. The intention is that this experience can help enable the extension of the educator-based approach to other languages and contexts, while simultaneously acknowledging that linguistic and cultural adaptations are crucial.
Keywords
- Type
- Element
- Information
- Online ISBN: 9781108924399Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication: 04 August 2022
References
Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88(3), 588–606. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Basbøll, H., & Vach, W. (2011). Is Danish difficult to acquire? Evidence from Nordic past-tense studies. Language and Cognitive Processes, 26(8), 1193–1231.Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Hvidman, C., Munkedal, S., et al. (2018). Elever med svage kompetencer i sprog og læseforståelse. Forskningskortlægning af effektive indsatser, risikofaktorer og sammenhænge med anden læring [Students with low language and reading comprehension skills: A systematic review of interventions, risk factors and relation to skill development]. Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet [Agency for Teaching and Quality].Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Højen, A., Dale, P. S., et al. (2018). Effective language and literacy instruction: Evaluating the importance of scripting and group size components. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42, 256–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.10.002Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Højen, A., Justice, L. M., et al. (2018). The effectiveness of a large-scale language and preliteracy intervention: The SPELL randomized-controlled-trial in Denmark. Child Development, 89(4), e342–e363. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12859CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bleses, D., Jensen, P., Højen, A., et al. (2018). An educator-administered measure of language development in young children. Infant Behavior and Development, 52, 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.06.002Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Jensen, P., Højen, A., et al. (2021). Implementing toddler interventions at scale: The case of “We learn together.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 57, 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.04.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleses, D., Jensen, P., Slot, P., et al. (2020). Low-cost teacher-implemented intervention improves toddlers’ language and math skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 64–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.03.001Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Lum, J. A. G., Højen, A., et al. (2011). Sprogvurderingsmateriale til 3-årige, Inden skolestart og i Børnehaveklassen. Metodisk oversigt [Language Assessment Instrument for 3-year-olds before school start and in kindergarten]. Working Papers in Language Acquisition – University of Southern Denmark, 13. https://static.sdu.dk/Flexpaper/aspnet/pdf/E-print_13_2011.pdfGoogle Scholar
Bleses, D., Makransky, G., Dale, P. S., et al. (2016). Early productive vocabulary predicts academic achievement 10 years later. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37(6), 1461–1476. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716416000060CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleses, D., Vach, W., Jørgensen, R. N., et al. (2010). The internal validity and acceptability of the Danish SI-3: A language-screening instrument for 3-year-olds. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 53(2), 490–507.Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Vach, W., Slott, M., et al. (2008a). The Danish communicative developmental inventories: Validity and main developmental trends. Journal of Child Language, 35(3), 651–669. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0305000907008574Google Scholar
Bleses, D., Vach, W., Slott, M., et al. (2008b). Early vocabulary development in Danish and other languages: A CDI-based comparison. Journal of Child Language, 35(3), 619–650. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000908008714CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bleses, D., Vach, W., Wehberg, S., et al. (2007). Tidlig kommunikativ udvikling: Et værktøj til beskrivelse af sprogtilegnelse [Early communicative development: A tool for the description of language acquisition]. Syddansk Universitetsforlag [University Press of Southern Denmark].Google Scholar
Bornstein, M. H., Hahn, C.-S., & Haynes, O. M. (2004). Specific and general language performance across early childhood: Stability and gender considerations. First Language, 24(3), 267–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723704045681CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornstein, M. H., & Hendricks, C. (2012). Basic language comprehension and production in >100,000 young children from sixteen developing nations. Journal of Child Language, 39(4), 899–918. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000911000407Google Scholar
Bosch, L., & Sebastián-Gallés, N. (2003). Simultaneous bilingualism and the perception of a language-specific vowel contrast in the first year of life. Language and Speech, 46, 217–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cairney, D. G., Kazmi, A., Delahunty, L., et al. (2021). The predictive value of universal preschool developmental assessment in identifying children with later educational difficulties: A systematic review. PloS One, 16(3), e0247299. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247299CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catts, H. W., Herrera, S., Nielsen, D. C., et al. (2015). Early prediction of reading comprehension within the simple view framework. Reading and Writing, 28(9), 1407–1425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-015-9576-xGoogle Scholar
Clausen, M. C., & Fox-Boyer, A. (2017). Phonological development of Danish-speaking children: A normative cross-sectional study. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 31(6), 440–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2017.1308014Google Scholar
Crystal, D. (2010). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Dale, P. S. (1996). Parent report assessment of language and communication. In Cole, K. N., Dale, P. S., & Thal, D. J. (eds.), Assessment of communication and language (pp. 161–182). Brookes.Google Scholar
Dale, P. S., Harlaar, N., & Plomin, R. (2005). Telephone testing and teacher assessment of reading skills in 7-year-olds: I. Substantial correspondence for a sample of 5544 children and for extremes. Reading and Writing, 18(5), 385–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-004-8130-zGoogle Scholar
Ministry, Danish for Social Affairs. (2015). Statistik om dagtilbudsområdet [Numbers and statistics about daycare].Google Scholar
Dollaghan, C. (2013). Late talker as a clinical category: A critical evaluation. In Rescorla, L. & Dale, P. S. (eds.), Late talkers: Language development, interventions, and outcomes (pp. 5–21). Brookes.Google Scholar
Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, D. M. (2007). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4). Pearson Assessments.Google Scholar
Fenson, L., Marchman, V. A., Thal, D., et al. (2007). MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories: User’s guide and technical manual (2nd ed.). Brookes.Google Scholar
Fernald, A., Marchman, V. A., & Weisleder, A. (2013). SES differences in language processing skill and vocabulary are evident at 18 months. Developmental Science, 16(2), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12019CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friend, M., & Keplinger, M. (2008). Reliability and validity of the Computerized Comprehension Task (CCT): Data from American English and Mexican Spanish infants. Journal of Child Language, 35(1), 77–98.Google Scholar
Friend, M., Schmitt, S. A., & Simpson, A. M. (2012). Evaluating the predictive validity of the Computerized Comprehension Task: Comprehension predicts production. Developmental Psychology, 48(1), 136.Google Scholar
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S., & Compton, D. L. (2012). Smart RTI: A next-generation approach to multilevel prevention. Exceptional Children, 78(3), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291207800301Google Scholar
Garmann, N. G., Romøren, A. S. H., Flygstad, N., et al. (2019). Språkkartlegging i norske barnehager: En pilotundersøkelse av foreldres og barnehageansattes rapportering av norsktalende tre-åringers språkferdigheter ved hjelp av CDI III. [Language assessment in Norwegian childcare centers: A pilot investigation of parental and educator report of native Norwegian three-year-olds’ language skills using CDI III]. Rask, 49, 87–102. www.sdu.dk/-/media/files/om_sdu/institutter/isk/forskningspublikationer/rask/rask+49/rask+49_87–103.pdfGoogle Scholar
Gibson, T. A., Oller, D. K., Jarmulowicz, L., et al. (2012). The receptive–expressive gap in the vocabulary of young second-language learners: Robustness and possible mechanisms. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15(1), 102–116. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728910000490Google Scholar
Gross, M., Buac, M., & Kaushanskaya, M. (2014). Conceptual scoring of receptive and expressive vocabulary measures in simultaneous and sequential bilingual children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23(4), 574–586. https://doi.org/10.1044/2014_AJSLP-13-0026CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haghish, E. F., Vach, W., Bleses, D., et al. (2021). Estimating measurement error in child language assessments administered by daycare educators in large scale intervention studies. PloS One, 16(11), e0255414. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255414Google Scholar
Hammer, C. S., Hoff, E., Uchikoshi, Y., et al. (2014). The language and literacy development of young dual language learners: A critical review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 715–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.05.008Google Scholar
Hansen, P. (2017). What makes a word easy to acquire? The effects of word class, frequency, imageability and phonological neighbourhood density on lexical development. First Language, 37(2), 205–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723716679956Google Scholar
Harlaar, N., Hayiou-Thomas, M. E., Dale, P. S., et al. (2008). Why do preschool language abilities correlate with later reading? A twin study. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51(3), 688–705. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2008/049)Google Scholar
Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Brookes.Google Scholar
Hemsley, G., Holm, A., & Dodd, B. (2010). Patterns in diversity: Lexical learning in Samoan-English bilingual children. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 12(4), 362–374. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549501003721064Google Scholar
Hendrickson, K., Mitsven, S., Poulin-Dubois, D., et al. (2015). Looking and touching: What extant approaches reveal about the structure of early word knowledge. Developmental Science, 18(5), 723–735. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12250Google Scholar
Hendrickson, K., Poulin-Dubois, D., Zesiger, P., et al. (2017). Assessing a continuum of lexical–semantic knowledge in the second year of life: A multimodal approach. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 158, 95–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.01.003Google Scholar
Hoff, E. (2006). How social contexts support and shape language development. Developmental Review, 26(1), 55–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2005.11.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoff, E. (2013). Interpreting the early language trajectories of children from low-SES and language minority homes: Implications for closing achievement gaps. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 4.Google Scholar
Hoff, E. (2015). Language development in bilingual children. In Bavin, E. L. & Naigles, L. R. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Child Language (2nd ed., pp. 481–503). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hoff, E., Core, C., & Bridges, K. A. (2008). Non-word repetition assesses phonological memory and is related to vocabulary development in 20- to 24-month-olds. Journal of Child Language, 35, 903–916.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoff, E., Core, C., Place, S., et al. (2012). Dual language exposure and early bilingual development. Journal of Child Language, 39(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000910000759Google Scholar
Huttenlocher, J., Waterfall, H., Vasilyeva, M., et al. (2010). Sources of variability in children’s language growth. Cognitive Psychology, 61(4), 343–365.Google Scholar
Højen, A., Bleses, D., Jensen, P., et al. (2019). Patterns of educational achievement among groups of immigrant children in Denmark emerge already in preschool second-language and preliteracy skills. Applied Psycholinguistics, 40(4), 853–875. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716418000814Google Scholar
Højen, A., Hoff, E., Bleses, D., et al. (2021). The relation of home literacy environments to language and preliteracy skills in single- and dual-language children in Danish childcare. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55, 312–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.12.007Google Scholar
Kamhi, A. G., & Catts, H. W. (2012). Language and reading disabilities (3rd ed.). Pearson.Google Scholar
Klem, M., Gustafsson, J.-E., & Hagtvet, B. (2015). The dimensionality of language ability in four-year-olds: Construct validation of a language screening tool. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 59(2), 195–213.Google Scholar
Landersø, R., & Heckman, J. J. (2017). The Scandinavian fantasy: The sources of intergenerational mobility in Denmark and the US. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 119(1), 178–230.Google Scholar
Lee, J. (2011). Size matters: Early vocabulary as a predictor of language and literacy competence. Applied Psycholinguistics, 32(01), 69–92.Google Scholar
Leonard, L. B. (2014). Children with Specific Language Impairment (2nd ed.). MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lightfoot, C., Cole, M., & Cole, S. R. (2013). The development of children (7th ed.). Worth.Google Scholar
Marchman, V. A., & Dale, P. S. (2018). Assessing receptive and expressive vocabulary in child language. In de Groot, A. M. B. & Hagoort, P. (eds.), Research methods in psycholinguistics and the neurobiology of language: A practical guide (pp. 40–67). Wiley.Google Scholar
Martin, N. A., & Brownell, R. (2011). Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test 4. Academic Therapy Publications.Google Scholar
McLeod, S., Crowe, K., & Shahaeian, A. (2015). Intelligibility in context scale: Normative and validation data for English-speaking preschoolers. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 46(3), 266–276. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_LSHSS-14-0120Google Scholar
National Early Literacy Panel. (2008). Developing early literacy. National Institute for Literacy.Google Scholar
Nelson, H. D., Nygren, P., Walker, M., & Panoscha, R. (2006). Screening for speech and language delay in preschool children: Systematic evidence review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Pediatrics, 117(2), e298–e319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, H., Jensen, P., Bleses, D., et al. (2017). Forskningsbaseret evaluering af Fremtidens Dagtilbud: Undersøgelse af indsatsens implementering og effekter [Research-based evaluation of daycare of the future: Examination of implementation and effects of the intervention]. https://dk.ramboll.com/-/media/files/rm/rapporter/forskningsbaseret-evalueringsrapport-fremtidens-dagtilbud.pdf?la=daGoogle Scholar
O’Neill, D. K. (2007). The Language Use Inventory for young children: A parent-report measure of pragmatic language development for 18- to 47-month-old children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 50(1), 214–228. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2007/017)Google Scholar
Paradis, J., Genesee, F., & Crago, M. B. (2021). Dual language development and disorders (3rd ed.). Brookes.Google Scholar
Paul, R., Norbury, C., & Gosse, C. (2018). Language disorders from infancy through adolescence (5th ed.). Elsevier.Google Scholar
Pearson. (2007). PPVT 4 – EVT 2. Technical information. https://support.pearson.com/usclinical/servlet/fileField?entityId=ka00N000000sibPQAQ&field=Attachments__Body__sGoogle Scholar
Poll, G. H., & Miller, C. A. (2013). Late talking, typical talking, and weak language skills at middle childhood. Learning and Individual Differences, 26, 177–184.Google Scholar
Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods (Vol. 1). Sage.Google Scholar
Rescorla, L. (2005). Age 13 language and reading outcomes in late-talking toddlers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 48(2), 459–472. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2005/031)CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rescorla, L., & Dale, P. S. (eds.). (2013). Late talkers: Language development, interventions, and outcomes. Brookes.Google Scholar
Restrepo, M. A. (1998). Identifiers of predominantly Spanish-speaking children with language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 41(6), 1398–1411.Google Scholar
Reusch, S. (2006). Kortlægning af PPRs opgaver over for børn i 0-6-års alderen i perioden 1/1 – 31/12 2005 [Mapping of the tasks of speech pathologists for children aged 0–6 from January 1 to December 31, 2005]. UNI-C.Google Scholar
Ribot, K. M., & Hoff, E. (2014). “¿Cómo estas?” “I’m good.” Conversational code-switching is related to profiles of expressive and receptive proficiency in Spanish-English bilingual toddlers. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(4), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025414533225Google Scholar
Roberts, J. E., Burchinal, M., & Durham, M. (1999). Parents’ report of vocabulary and grammatical development of African American preschoolers: Child and environmental associations. Child Development, 70(1), 92–106. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00008Google Scholar
Sattler, J. (2001). Assessment of children: Cognitive applications (4th ed.). Sattler.Google Scholar
Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review of research. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417–453. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543075003417CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snow, C. E., & van Hemel, S. B. (2008). Early childhood assessment: Why, what, and how. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12446Google Scholar
Socialministeriets Benchmarking Enhed. (2020). Analyse af kommunernes arbejde med sprogudvikling på dagtilbudsområdet [Analysis of municipalities’ efforts in language development in childcare]. https://benchmark.dk/media/17851/kortlaegning_af_kommunernes_arbejde_med_sprogudvikling_paa_dagtilbudsomraadet_tilg.pdfGoogle Scholar
Wallentin, M. (2009). Putative sex differences in verbal abilities and language cortex: A critical review. Brain and Language, 108(3), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2008.07.001Google Scholar
Wehberg, S., Vach, W., Bleses, D., et al. (2007). Danish children’s first words: Analysing longitudinal data based on monthly CDI parental reports. First Language, 27(4), 361–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723707081723Google Scholar
Wells, G. (2007). The mediating role of discoursing in activity. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 14(3), 160–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749030701316300Google Scholar
World Economic Forum. (2020). The global social mobility report 2020: Equality, opportunity and a new economic imperative. World Economic Forum.Google Scholar
- 8
- Cited by