Hierarchy and Reliability of the Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition: Mokken Scale Analysis

Purpose This study examined the psychometric properties of the Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS-5 English) among preschool children from low–socioeconomic status (SES) families. Method The PLS-5 was administered individually to 169 3- to 4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start programs. We carried out a Mokken scale analysis (MSA), which is a nonparametric item response theory analysis, to examine the hierarchy among items and the reliability of test scores of the PLS-5 Auditory Comprehension (AC) and Expressive Communication (EC) scales. Results The PLS-5 EC items retained a moderate Mokken scale with the inclusion of all the items. On the other hand, the PLS-5 AC items formed a moderate Mokken scale only with the exclusion of five unscalable items. The latent class reliability coefficients for the AC and the EC scale scores were both above .90. Several items that violated the invariant item ordering assumption were found for both scales. Conclusions MSA can be used to examine the relationship between the latent language ability and the probability of passing an item with ordinal responses. Results indicate that for preschool children from low-SES families, it is appropriate to use the PLS-5 EC scale scores for comparing individuals' expressive language abilities; however, researchers and speech-language pathologists should be cautious when using the PLS-5 AC scale scores to evaluate individuals' receptive language abilities. Other implications of the MSA results are further discussed.

THE PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRATION IN THE FORMATION OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF FUTURE TEACHERS OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article presents the possibilities of using the disciplines: “Speech Culture and Expressive Reading”, “Modern Ukrainian language with a workshop”, “Ukrainian language for professional purposes”, and “Preschool language didactic” in the process of forming communicative competence of future preschool teachers on the basis of integration.It is determined that the important component of professional competence of an educator is communicative competence because a graduate of a higher education institution must be fluent in the native language, be able to communicate, interact with children and adults, and be ready to develop the ability of children to speak Ukrainian in various communication situations.It is emphasized that the formation of communicative competence of the future educator of preschool education should be aimed at mastering basic and interdisciplinary knowledge, psychological and pedagogical, professional and methodological, special and creative skills, education of value orientations, motives of pedagogical activity, communicative culture of personality, ability to develop own creative potential in the field of language education of preschool children.In the process of professional training the task of forming communicative competence in future preschool education specialists is realized in the process of studying all disciplines, although the priorities, in our opinion, are the disciplines “Speech culture and expressive reading”, “Modern Ukrainian language with a workshop”, “Ukrainian language for professional direction”, “Preschool language didactics”. Among the tasks that solve these disciplines, there are those that relate to the motivational, cognitive, activity, and reflective components of the communicative competence of the educator.The peculiarities of the formation of communicative competence in future specialists of preschool education during lectures and practical classes in the above disciplines on the basis of the principle of integration are revealed. A list of tasks of independent work in the disciplines “Ukrainian language for professional purposes” and “Preschool language didactics”, which provide integration of students' knowledge in the disciplines “Speech culture and expressive reading”, “Modern Ukrainian language with a workshop” in order to form communicative competence.The use of the principle of integration in the study of the above disciplines contributes to a comprehensive, high-quality and effective formation of communicative competence in future educators of preschool education institutions. Keywords: competence, competence of the teacher, professional training of the future educator, communicative competence, communicative competence of the educator, integration, speech of the educator, language education of children.

Kinds Of Language Problems Of Kindergarten Children In Surakarta

Background: Language and communication skills are essential skills that preschoolers must have. This ability is a precursor to further literacy skills which will later be useful in the academic process of children, so it is necessary to trace the language and communication skills of preschool children. Methods: This research is a survey research by distributing questionnaires to respondents. The questionnaire contains the profile of language and communication skills through parent reports. The analysis used is using descriptive statistics. Results: This study provides an overview of language and communication skills in depth. The language component consists of receptive language skills, expressive language skills, and initial literacy skills. Meanwhile, communication skills consist of attention and listening, the ability to follow simple commands, the ability to ask questions, and the ability to speak. About 20% of preschoolers have language skills below their peers. Conclusion: Data found on language skills of children under their peers. Further research is needed to prove broader data about preschool language skills.

Preschool Language Experience of Dual Language Learners and English Monolingual Children

This study explored the quantitative language experiences of dual language learners (DLLs; n = 19) and English monolinguals (EM; n = 13) in preschool classrooms where English is the primary language of instruction. Using the Language ENvironment AnalysisTM system as a primary tool, we analyzed an average of 34 hours of recordings collected over 5 to 8 days for each participating child (Mage = 52 months) in 6 classrooms. Results showed that DLLs spoke as much as EMs but heard less adult talk overall and had more 5-minute recording segments with zero adult-child conversations than their English EM peers during typical preschool days. When we focused on adult-child conversational contexts, DLLs, relative to EMs, heard less adult talk during conversations that were child-initiated but not during conversations that were adult-initiated. Follow-up analyses also showed that teachers talk more and longer when they initiated conversations than when children initiated conversations for both DLLs and EMs, while children spoke more in child-initiated conversations. Study implications and future research are discussed.

Learning through everyday activities: Improving preschool language and literacy outcomes via family workshops

Family literacy programmes can take many shapes, and are often focused on training adult caregivers to engage in particular literacy activities with their young children. In this study, through a series of five, two-hour workshops, we instead worked to help families take advantage of opportunities to infuse literacy learning into their daily routines with their preschool-aged children. Effects of the workshop include parent reports of increased literacy interactions in the home, particularly in the areas of read-alouds and writing opportunities. In addition, students whose families participated in the workshops showed statistically significantly greater literacy growth in print and word awareness and comprehension than peers whose families did not participate in the workshops.

Preschool Language Development of Children Born to Women with an Opioid Use Disorder

Increasing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to opioids may affect brain development, but limited data exist on the effects of opioid-exposure on preschool language development. Our study aimed to characterize the nature and prevalence of language problems in children prenatally exposed to opioids, and the factors that support or hinder language acquisition. A sample of 100 children born to pregnant women in methadone maintenance treatment and 110 randomly identified non-exposed children were studied from birth to age 4.5 years. At 4.5 years, 89 opioid-exposed and 103 non-exposed children completed the preschool version of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-P) as part of a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment. Children prenatally exposed to opioids had poorer receptive and expressive language outcomes at age 4.5 years compared to non-opioid exposed children. After adjustment for child sex, maternal education, other pregnancy substance use, maternal pregnancy nutrition and prenatal depression, opioid exposure remained a significant independent predictor of children’s total CELF-P language score. Examination of a range of potential intervening factors showed that a composite measure of the quality of parenting and home environment at age 18 months and early childhood education participation at 4.5 years were important positive mediators.

Preschool Language Development of Children Born to Opioid-Dependent Mothers

Increasing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to opioids can adversely influence brain development, yet, limited data exists on the effects of opioid-exposure on preschool language development. Our study aimed to characterize the nature and prevalence of language problems in children prenatally exposed to opioids, and the factors that support or hinder language acquisition. A sample of 100 children born to pregnant women in methadone maintenance treatment and 110 randomly identified non-exposed children were studied from birth to age 4.5 years. At 4.5 years, 89 opioid-exposed and 103 non-exposed children completed the preschool version of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-P) as part of a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment. Children prenatally exposed to opioid had poorer receptive and expressive language outcomes at age 4.5 years compared to non-exposed children. After adjustment for child sex, maternal education, other pregnancy substance use, maternal pregnancy nutrition and prenatal depression, opioid exposure remained a significant independent predictor of children’s total CELF-P language score. Examination of a range of potential intervening factors showed that a composite measure of the quality of parenting and home environment at 18 months and early childhood education participation at 4.5 years were important positive mediators.

Preschool Communication: Early Identification of Concerns About Preschool Language Development and Social Participation

Background: Adverse communication development in preschool children is a risk factor influencing child health and well-being with a negative impact on social participation. Language and social skills develop and maintain human adaptability over the life course. However, the accuracy of detecting language problems in asymptomatic children in primary care needs to be improved. Therefore, it is important to identify concerns about language development as a risk factor for child health. The association between parental and professional caregivers' concerns about language development and the level of preschool social participation was assessed, as well as the possible mediating/moderating effect of the perception of social competence. In addition, validity and predictive value of parental and professional caregivers' concerns about language development were tested.Methods: To identify emerging concerns about development and social participation, a community sample of 341 preschool children was systematically assessed with a comprehensive preventive child health care “toolkit” of instruments, including parent-completed tools like the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) and child competence Visual Analog Scales (VAS). At baseline, children were aged 3 years and at follow-up ~4 years.Results: There was a statistically significant association between parental and professional caregivers' concerns about language development and the level of preschool social participation, with a mediating effect of child social competence at the age of 3 years as well as 4 years. Negative predictive value of parental and professional caregiver language concerns at the age of 3 and 4 years were 99 and 97%, respectively. Furthermore, this article showed that while some preschool children grow out of language problems, others may develop them.Conclusion: Short but valid pediatric primary care tools like the PEDS and child competence VAS can support monitoring and early identification of concerns about language development and social competence as a risk factor for preschool social participation. Personalized health care requires continued communication between parents, professional caregivers and preventive child health care about parental and professional caregiver perceptions concerning preschool language development as well as the perception of a child's social competence.