scholarly journals Assessing the productive vocabulary of Spanish–English bilingual toddlers from low-income families

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEANNETTE MANCILLA-MARTINEZ ◽  
BARBARA ALEXANDER PAN ◽  
SHAHER BANU VAGH
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Old Spanish ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Communicative Development ◽  
Low Income Families

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the utility and validity of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) for use with low-income parents and their 24- to 36-month-old Spanish–English bilingual children (n = 79). Issues in the interpretation of the integrated CDI/Inventarios del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (IDHC) score to index bilingual children's overall conceptual knowledge are also considered. Results indicate that the CDI/IDHC can be used with this population through at least age 36 months and parents are accurate reporters of their children's Spanish and English vocabulary. The value of the integrated score was confirmed. However, given the lack of norms associated with the integrated score, the complexity of determining how best to interpret this score was underscored.

scholarly journals Difficulties using standardized tests to identify the receptive expressive gap in bilingual children's vocabularies

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 328-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
TODD A. GIBSON ◽  
LINDA JARMULOWICZ ◽  
D. KIMBROUGH OLLER
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
English Language ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Old Spanish ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
The Us ◽  
English Speaking

Receptive standardized vocabulary scores have been found to be much higher than expressive standardized vocabulary scores in children with Spanish as L1, learning L2 (English) in school (Gibson et al., 2012). Here we present evidence suggesting the receptive-expressive gap may be harder to evaluate than previously thought. We compared the performance of 116 six-year-old Spanish–English bilingual children in the US to 30 monolingual Spanish-speaking peers in Mexico across two Spanish-language standardized picture naming tests and one standardized picture pointing test. The performance of 134 monolingual English-speaking peers was compared using similar English-language tests. Results revealed the presence and magnitude of a receptive-expressive gap was largely dependent on the tests used. These discrepant results likely exist because widely-used standardized tests do not offer comparable normed scores. We review possible test norming practices that may have contributed to these results and suggest guidelines to determine a meaningful receptive-expressive gap for bilingual children.

scholarly journals Measuring productive vocabulary of toddlers in low-income families: concurrent and predictive validity of three sources of data

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 587-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
BARBARA ALEXANDER PAN ◽  
MEREDITH L. ROWE ◽  
ELIZABETH SPIER ◽  
CATHERINE TAMIS-LEMONDA
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Predictive Validity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Parental Report ◽  
Communicative Development ◽  
Language Assessments ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Language Measures

This study examined parental report as a source of information about toddlers' productive vocabulary in 105 low-income families living in either urban or rural communities. Parental report using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory – Short Form (CDI) at child age 2;0 was compared to concurrent spontaneous speech measures and standardized language assessments, and the utility of each source of data for predicting receptive vocabulary at age 3;0 (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) was evaluated. Relations between language measures of interest and background variables such as maternal age, education, and race/ethnicity were also considered. Results showed that for the sample as a whole, parental report was moderately associated with other language measures at age 2;0 and accounted for unique variance in PPVT at age 3;0, controlling for child language skills derived from a standard cognitive assessment. However, predictive validity differed by community, being stronger in the rural than in the urban community. Implications of significant differences in background characteristics of mothers in the two sites are discussed.

An Initial Investigation of Phonological Patterns in Typically Developing 4-Year-Old Spanish-English Bilingual Children

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Goldstein ◽  
Patricia Swasey Washington
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Old Spanish ◽  
Place Of Articulation ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Manner Of Articulation

Purpose: This collaborative study investigated phonological patterns in 12 typically developing 4-year-old bilingual (Spanish-English) children. Method: A single-word phonological assessment with separate versions for English and Spanish was administered to each child. Analyses consisted of a phonetic inventory; percentage of consonants correct; percentage of consonants correct for voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation; and the percentage of occurrence for phonological processes. Results: The results indicated that there were no significant differences between the two languages on percentage of consonants correct; percentage of consonants correct for voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation; or percentage of occurrence for phonological processes. However, the children exhibited different patterns of production across the two languages and showed different patterns compared to monolingual children of either language. Clinical Implications: The preliminary findings suggest that the phonological system of bilingual (Spanish-English) children is both similar to and different from that of monolingual speakers of either language. Compared to monolingual speakers, bilingual children should be expected to exhibit different types of errors and different substitution patterns for target sounds.

scholarly journals The Home Literacy Environment and the English Narrative Development of Spanish–English Bilingual Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 1159-1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Bitetti ◽  
Carol Scheffner Hammer
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Home Literacy Environment ◽  
Home Literacy ◽  
Book Reading ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Narrative Development ◽  
Literacy Environment ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the English narrative development of Spanish–English bilingual children from low-income backgrounds. Method Longitudinal data were collected on 81 bilingual children from preschool through 1st grade. English narrative skills were assessed in the fall and spring of each year. Microstructure measures included mean length of utterance in morphemes and number of different words. The Narrative Scoring Scheme (Heilmann, Miller, Nockerts, & Dunaway, 2010) measured macrostructure. Each fall, the children's mothers reported the frequency of literacy activities and number of children's books in the home. Growth curve modeling was used to describe the children's narrative development and the impact of the HLE over time. Results Significant growth occurred for all narrative measures. The HLE did not affect microstructure growth. The frequency with which mothers read to their children had a positive impact on the growth of the children's total Narrative Scoring Scheme scores. Other aspects of the HLE, such as the frequency with which the mothers told stories, did not affect macrostructure development. Conclusions These results provide information about the development of English narrative abilities and demonstrate the importance of frequent book reading for the overall narrative quality of children from Spanish-speaking homes who are learning English.

scholarly journals Low-income fathers’ speech to toddlers during book reading versus toy play

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1385-1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIRGINIA C. SALO ◽  
MEREDITH L. ROWE ◽  
KATHRYN A. LEECH ◽  
NATASHA J. CABRERA
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Book Reading ◽  
Communicative Development ◽  
Toy Play ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

AbstractFathers’ child-directed speech across two contexts was examined. Father–child dyads from sixty-nine low-income families were videotaped interacting during book reading and toy play when children were 2;0. Fathers used more diverse vocabulary and asked more questions during book reading while their mean length of utterance was longer during toy play. Variation in these specific characteristics of fathers’ speech that differed across contexts was also positively associated with child vocabulary skill measured on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Results are discussed in terms of how different contexts elicit specific qualities of child-directed speech that may promote language use and development.

An Introductory Examination of Speech Disfluencies in Spanish–English Bilingual Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter During Narratives

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Cristina Rincon ◽  
Kia Noelle Johnson ◽  
Courtney Byrd
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Diagnostic Information ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Developmental Stuttering ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency and type of speech disfluencies (stuttering-like and nonstuttering-like) in bilingual Spanish–English (SE) children who stutter (CWS) to SE children who do not stutter (CWNS) during narrative samples elicited in Spanish and English to provide further diagnostic information for this population and preliminary data toward an expansion of this study. Method Participants included six bilingual SE children (three CWS, three CWNS) ranging in age from 5 years to 7;5 (years;months) and recruited from the surrounding Houston, Texas area. Participants provided a narrative sample in English and Spanish. The frequency of speech disfluencies was tabulated, and mean length of utterance was measured for each sample. Results Results indicate that both talker groups exceed the diagnostic criteria typically used for developmental stuttering. Regardless of the language being spoken, CWS participants had a frequency of stuttering-like speech disfluencies that met or exceeded the diagnostic criteria for developmental stuttering that is based on monolingual English speakers. The CWNS participants varied in meeting the criteria depending on the language being spoken, with one of the three CWNS exceeding the criteria in both languages and one exceeding the criteria for percentage of stuttering-like speech disfluencies in one language. Conclusion Findings from this study contribute to the development of more appropriate diagnostic criteria for bilingual SE-speaking children to aid in the reduction of misdiagnoses of stuttering in this population.

Demonstrating Nutrient Cost Gradients: A Brooklyn Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Caloric Density ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

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