CHAPTER 12 LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: OBSERVING, SCREENING, DIAGNOSING, AND DOCUMENTING
Chapter Overview
This chapter describes informal and formal ways of assessing children's language development and the role assessment has in curriculum planning and implementation. Screening for language
delays, as well as diagnosing for specific areas of difficulty, are explained. Guidelines for sharing assessment information with parents are also included.
Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter, students should be able to
· Describe the strengths and limitations of using observation as a way of assessing children’s language development
· Identify the criteria to follow when selecting a screening instrument
· Discuss the recommended procedures in setting up a prereferral conference with a child’s parents
· Distinguish between screening and diagnostic testing procedures
· Discuss the ways in which portfolios may be used to document children’s language development
· Describe how to share assessment information with parents
Chapter Review
1. What are two strengths and two limitations of informal assessment?
2. List three frequently used forms of informal assessment.
3. What are two strengths and two limitations of using audio or video recording as an assessment tool?
4. What are two strengths and two limitations of using checklists as an assessment tool?
5. Distinguish between developmental screening and diagnostic testing with respect to purpose and procedures used.
6. Why is it important for an early childhood teacher to have a comprehensive assessment plan?
7. What is the purpose of 'Child Find'? What is typically involved in this process?
8. Why are validity and reliability important considerations when using assessment instruments?
9. State three guidelines for sharing assessment information with parents.
Chapter Activity
1. Conduct a Storybook-based Language Observation. In this observation, a storybook is used to engage the child in talking about a book, thus providing a rich, oral language sample as well as literacy-related behaviors.
Section I: Directions for Language Analysis Assignment
a. Select a child you know between the ages of 2 1/2 and 5 years.
b. Select two storybooks that are moderately familiar to the child.
c. Have a audio recording device available. (Videotape is also acceptable.)
d. Ask the child to tell you about the book, or if the child refuses, say, "Let's look at the book together". (Instead, you may record the parent sharing the book with his/her child.) Ask general questions and make comments only to sustain the storybook interaction. Avoid asking questions that the child can answer with only one or two words as this limits the syntactic complexity shown by the child. Encourage the child to go ahead on his or her own (i.e., “Read to me any way you want to.” “Just pretend.” “Tell me about the pictures. What's happening here?”).
e. Make no notes during the storybook interaction.
f. Transcribe the storybook interaction, using the form provided below. Duplicate the form as needed.
g. Prepare a written analysis following the format given below. In addition, attach the transcript and the recording/CD.
Section II: Language Analysis
In answering each question, provide examples to clarify your responses.
Phonological Knowledge
1. What sounds did the child produce clearly?
2. Which words appeared to be most difficult for the child? Were the difficult sounds at the beginning of the word, in the middle, or at the end?
3. Were words (syllables and sounds) articulated clearly?
4. Did the child point to or focus on print? Did the child indicate an awareness that specific letters have specific sounds?
Semantic Knowledge
1. Did the child use synonyms when referring to ideas, objects, or people in the book?
2. Did the child refer to real-life objects or events related to the book’s content?
3. Did the child appear to use story illustrations to cue memory for book content?
Syntactic Knowledge
1. Describe the range of sentence/phrase structure represented in the child’s utterances.
2. To what extent does the child’s syntax mirror the structure of the story text?
3. Did the child use questions?
4. Did the child use dialogue carriers?
Morphemic Knowledge
1. Describe the child’s use of derivational and inflectional morphemes.
2. Were any overgeneralizations applied to comparatives or verb tense markers?
Pragmatic Knowledge
1. Did the child hold the book correctly?
2. Were pages turned at appropriate times?
3. Did the child show an awareness of any of these concepts: title, author, page, words, beginning, end?
4. Did the child show direction when reading or paging through the book: from front to back? from left to right? from top to bottom?
5. Did the child use formal beginnings and endings, such as “Once upon a time,” “One day . . . ,” or “The end”?
6. Did the child check to see if you/the listener were comprehending the story?
7. Did the child pause for your response or verbally encourage your comments about the story?
8. Did the child show awareness that books have stable texts, such as self-corrections or memory for text?
Additional Notes
Record other information based on additional interaction with the child, siblings, teacher, or parent, related to the child’s development of the five aspects of language knowledge (oral or written).
Conclusions/Summary
Summarize your observations and analysis of the child’s language development in each of the five areas.