Tracking children from poverty at risk for specific language impairment: a 3-year longitudinal study
B B Fazio1, R C Naremore, P J Connell
1Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. faziob@indiana.edu
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research
|June 1, 1996
Summary
This longitudinal study identified specific language impairment (SLI) in children from poverty using experimental and traditional methods. Early language predictors like oral vocabulary and story-retelling were key for identifying SLI and academic needs.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Linguistics
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Children from poverty often exhibit language delays, making it challenging to distinguish specific language impairment (SLI) from typical development.
- Existing diagnostic methods for SLI, particularly in at-risk populations, require refinement for accurate identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally track language performance in children from poverty over three years.
- To compare the efficacy of experimental versus traditional approaches in identifying SLI.
- To identify early kindergarten predictors for SLI and academic remediation needs.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year longitudinal study involving 34 children from kindergarten through second grade.
- Comparison of an experimental approach (story-retelling, rote memory, invented morpheme learning) with a traditional approach (standardized-test discrepancy scores).
- Analysis of language performance, nonverbal intelligence, and academic status.
Main Results:
- Six out of 34 children were identified as having SLI by the end of the study.
- A combination of Oral Vocabulary (TOLD-2P) and experimental tasks best predicted SLI outcome in kindergarten.
- Story-retelling in kindergarten was the strongest single predictor for academic remediation needs.
Conclusions:
- Early language assessments, particularly those incorporating experimental tasks, can effectively identify children with SLI from low-income backgrounds.
- Story-retelling skills in kindergarten are a crucial indicator for children requiring academic support.
- Longitudinal data revealed that early influences of poverty on language performance can diminish over time with intervention.
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