scholarly journals Afrikaanse taalvariasie: Uitdagings vir regverdige meting van jong kinders se taal

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frenette Southwood ◽  
Helena Oosthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Parent Questionnaire ◽  
Language Varieties ◽  
Parental Questionnaire ◽  
Communicative Gestures ◽  
School Careers

Approximately 5% of children show a language delay (Law, Boyle, Harris, Harkness and Nye 2000), and there are indications that this figure is higher in South Africa, especially amongst very young children (Van der Linde, Swanepoel, Sommerville, Glascoe, Vinck and Louw 2016). There are no adequate instruments with which to ascertain which young Afrikaans-speaking children will require assistance to overcome future language-related academic problems. This article reports on the challenges experienced owing to Afrikaans language variation during the development of a parent questionnaire with which the language acquisition of young children can be measured. This questionnaire comprises questions on early developing communicative gestures, first words, and early grammatical constructions, and parents are requested to indicate on the list which gestures, words and constructions their child comprehends and/or produces. The length of the questionnaire needs to be contained, because the completion of the questionnaire should remain a realistic task for parents, also for those with low literacy levels. Decisions regarding the inclusion or exclusion on the questionnaire of the words found in specific varieties of Afrikaans are however often not straightforward. Existing language assessment instruments the world over typically discriminate against children who are not part of the dominant culture and language community. Given South Africa’s stained history with regard to the recognition of speakers of non-standardised language varieties (cf., e.g., Hendricks 2012; Williams 2016), the compiling of a valid parental questionnaire is non-negotiable. It is thus necessary to consider carefully which words should appear on the list, because a good parental questionnaire can contribute to culturally and linguistically fair language assessment of young Afrikaans-speaking children. Such a questionnaire will assist in identifying children who struggle to acquire their language and who need extra assistance in order for their language to improve sufficiently before the commencement of their school careers. That way, they will have a better chance of accessing the curriculum, of experiencing academic success, and of having a sufficiently long school career to realise their potential.

The Token and Reporter's Tests

1985 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-255
Author(s):  
Penelope K. Hall ◽  
Linda S. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Token Test ◽  
Normal Language

The performance of 123 language-disordered children on the DeRenzi and Faglioni form of the Token Test and the DeRenzi and Ferrari Reporter's Test were analyzed using two scoring conventions, and then compared with the performances of children with presumed normal language development. Correlations with other commonly used language assessment instruments are cited. Use of the Token and Reporter's Tests with children exhibiting language disorders is suggested.

scholarly journals Supporting Executive Function Skills in Early Childhood: Using a Peer Buddy Approach for Community, Confidence, and Citizenship

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen I. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Cognitive Decision ◽  
Positive Social Skills

<p>This article provides a descriptive overview of a peer buddy program designed to develop and support young children’s executive functioning in early childhood classrooms. The author defines and categorizes executive function skills and analyzes their development in early childhood and benefits in the continued academic success of young children. The steps in creating a peer buddy program are explained, and a framework is provided for teachers to help the entire class develop effective executive function skills while facilitating positive social skills for classroom community building and citizenship. By supporting young children in their efforts to develop stronger executive function skills, teachers build resilience and help them discover their strengths for facilitating social interactions, problem-solving skills, and confidence in cognitive decision making to be successful citizens at home and in school.</p>

Scoring Second Signed Language Assessment

2021 ◽  
pp. 315-328
Author(s):  
Tobias Haug ◽  
Eveline Boers-Visker ◽  
Wolfgang Mann ◽  
Geoffrey Poor ◽  
Beppie Van den Bogaerde
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Signed Language ◽  
Assessment Research

There exists a scarcity in signed language assessment research, especially on scoring issues and interrater reliability. This chapter describes two related assessment instruments, the SLPI and the NFA, which offer scoring criteria. Raters are provided with scales for evaluating the different components of the language production of the candidate. Through its use, the rating system has been proved successful; there is, however, hardly any data on interrater reliability. In this chapter, the authors describe reliability issues with attention to raters’ training and score resolution techniques and discuss how to identify and increase rater reliability. The dearth of knowledge on signed language assessment, and in particular its validity and reliability, indicates an urgent need for more research in this area.

Parents as Para-Professionals in the Haarlem Pre-School Project

1975 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 34-41
Author(s):  
Peter Elbers
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Parental Involvement ◽  
Working Class ◽  
School Education ◽  
School Experience ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
School Project ◽  
The Family ◽  
School Careers ◽  
Future School

The origins of this project stemmed from the convictions of a group of parents who believed on the importance of pre-school education and parental involvement in it for the future school careers of their children. This way have been long accepted by some sections of the community who have made the effort to provide a stimulating enviroment for their young children, but it is by no means as common a view amoung working class people who may have had little eductaion themselves. The levels of wages, the time available, the cultural patterns of the family, thier own school experience and expectations for their children are all important factors in determining pople’s attitudes towards pre-schooling.

The Effect of Consistent Structured Reading Instruction on High and Low Literacy Achievement in Young Children who are Blind

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (10) ◽  
pp. 595-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wall Emerson ◽  
Debbie Sitar ◽  
Jane N. Erin ◽  
Diane P. Wormsley ◽  
Stephanie Leigh Herlich
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Literacy Achievement ◽  
Low Literacy

A Review of Standardized Developmental Assessment Instruments for Young Children and Their Applicability for Children With Special Needs

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Visser ◽  
Selma A. J. Ruiter ◽  
Bieuwe F. van der Meulen ◽  
Wied A. J. J. M. Ruijssenaars ◽  
Marieke E. Timmerman
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Language Impairments ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Children With Special Needs ◽  
Developmental Assessment ◽  
Impaired Children

This article provides a review of contemporary instruments for the developmental assessment of children aged 0–4 years and their applicability for children with special needs. The issues involved in the developmental assessment of children with special needs are discussed, and, on the basis of these issues, various instruments are then evaluated.Method:A literature search was carried out for articles about or using standardized developmental assessment instruments for children aged 0–4 years.Results:Eighteen instruments were found, of which 2 were nonverbal and 2 were designed for motor-impaired children. The instruments varied in terms of their suitability for children with special needs.Conclusion:The range of instruments is limited, especially for children younger than 2 years of age. Instruments for children with motor or hearing/language impairments are available, but their psychometric properties need to be researched and improved. For children with a visual impairment, no appropriate instrument is currently available.

Context counts

Gesture ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley B. de Marchena ◽  
Inge-Marie Eigsti
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Communicative Gestures ◽  
Social Communicative

Co-speech gestures in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are poorly understood. Historically, all gestures were thought to be reduced in this social-communicative disorder; however, reduced gestures have not been consistently demonstrated in the empirical literature. Just as protodeclarative pointing is reduced in young children with ASD, while protoimperative pointing is not, the varied functions of co-speech gesture may explain these mixed findings. Verbally fluent adolescents with ASD (n = 18) and controls (n = 18) completed a narrative task and a standardized executive function task. Gestures on the narrative task, which serve a wide range of social and cognitive functions, were reduced in ASD. Gestures on the executive function task, which serve primarily cognitive functions, were increased in ASD. Gesture function may be the best predictor of the presence or absence of gesture in ASD. Despite reduced social-communicative gestures, individuals with ASD may benefit from gesture’s internal, cognitive functions.

Assessment of Language in Young Children

2019 ◽  
pp. 314-333
Author(s):  
Leslie A. Rescorla
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Good Clinical Practice ◽  
Language Delay ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Efficient Screening

Language delay is one of the major reasons that young children are referred for developmental or psychological evaluation. When no more primary condition is present, a child with a language delay is diagnosed with specific language impairment, with children ages 2 to 3 usually called late talkers. A vocabulary checklist such as the Language Development Survey (Rescorla, 1989) is an efficient screening tool for identifying language delay in toddlers. Research findings in five major domains of language and communication (gestures/play, phonology/vocalizations, vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatics) are reviewed, as well as standardized and naturalistic methods for assessing development in each domain. It is good clinical practice to screen for psychopathology when conducting a language assessment of young children, even though many preschoolers with language delay do not have significant psychopathology. Findings on associations between language delay and behavioral/emotional problems are reviewed, as well as commonly used rating forms for identifying maladjustment.

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