Concurrent validity of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale with language and intelligence measures

The present study compared results obtained for 62 normally developing preschool children on the Bracken Basic Concept Scale, the Preschool Language Scale, and the Slossen Intelligence Test to determine whether scores on the tests correlated and were equivalent. Results of correlation analyses using standard scores from the Bracken Basic Concept Scale, the auditory comprehension and verbal ability subscales of the Preschool Language Scale, and the Slossen Intelligence Test revealed low to moderate correlations between the three tests. These results suggest that the tests do not measure the same abilities and thus cannot be used interchangeably to evaluate basic concept development, language, or intellectual functioning in preschool children. The moderate to high correlations found between the children's CAs and age-equivalents for the three tests indicate that the tests measure skills that are developmental in nature. Implications for assessment of concept development and language functioning in preschool children are discussed.