2-174 - Applying Developmental Science to Assess Language in Diverse Preschoolers

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

By the time a child enters preschool, striking variation in language ability can be observed. Knowing a child’s place on the spectrum of language development is imperative for predicting later communicative and academic success. Despite the importance of language in the preschool years, there is currently no quick and efficient language assessment that is reliable, valid, and culturally neutral. This symposium presents data from a computerized language assessment on a sample of culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse 3- through 5-year-old monolingual English speakers and Spanish-English bilingual speakers. Such an instrument is important for early identification of children who may have potential language delays, as a way to evaluate curricular and language interventions, and as a research tool. Three papers begin to bridge the gap from research to practice by presenting several findings of interest to the scientific community and of great practical relevance for early childhood education, language, and learning.

Paper one details the development of an innovative assessment driven by empirical research and presents results from over 600 monolingual and bilingual children from a diverse socioeconomic sample. Paper two presents compelling evidence from our monolingual sample suggesting that SES disparities extend beyond the vocabulary and grammatical structures that children know to influence the ability to learn new language. Paper three describes the importance of assessing both languages to accurately represent linguistic knowledge in bilingual children. Together, these three papers investigate the important topic of preschool language assessment in a diverse population using principles of developmental science and evidence-based practice.

Sub Unit

• Language, Communication

Chair

• Amy Pace, Temple University

Discussant

• Philip S Dale, Univ of New Mexico MSC01-1195

Individual Presentations

• With the Touch of a Screen: Introducing an Innovative Preschool Language Assessment Tool - Presenting Author: Roberta M Golinkoff, University of Delaware; Mary S. Wilson, Laureate Learning Systems; Katherine E Ridge, University of Minnesota; Giovanna Morini, University of Delaware; Kristina Strother-Garcia, Univ of Delaware; Natalie Brezack, University of Delaware

• More than a Word Gap: Socioeconomic Differences in Language Processes - Presenting Author: Kathryn A Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University; Amy Pace, Temple University; Paula Yust, Temple University; Dani Levine, Temple University

• Using a Computerized Assessment to Capture Linguistic Knowledge in Spanish-English Bilingual Preschoolers - Presenting Author: Jill G de Villiers, Smith College; Aquiles Iglesias, University of Delaware; Andrea Takahesu Tabori, Smith College