10.23641/asha.12649214.v1
Angeliki Mouzaki
Angeliki
Mouzaki
Elli Spyropoulou
Elli
Spyropoulou
Asimina Ralli
Asimina
Ralli
Faye Antoniou
Faye
Antoniou
Vassiliki Diamanti
Vassiliki
Diamanti
Sophia Papaioannou
Sophia
Papaioannou
Oral language development (Mouzaki et al., 2020)
ASHA journals
2020
language
speech
speech-language pathology
oral
children
Greek
dimensionality
ability
young
assessment
battery
measure
demographics
urban
semiurban
rural
public school
school age
mobile
device
tablet
interest
participation
administration
procedure
reliable
models
age
preschool
elementary school
kindergarten
variations
Language
Linguistic Processes (incl. Speech Production and Comprehension)
2020-07-16 19:04:59
Journal contribution
https://asha.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Oral_language_development_Mouzaki_et_al_2020_/12649214
<div><b>Purpose: </b>This study investigated component skills in oral language development utilizing and validating a new assessment battery in a large (<i>N</i> = 800) and representative sample of Greek students 4–7 years of age.</div><div><b>Method:</b> All participants enrolled in public schools from four geographical regions (Attica, Thessaly, Macedonia, and Crete) that varied demographically (urban, semiurban, and rural). For the individualized language assessments, we utilized mobile devices (tablet PC) to ensure children’s interest and joyful participation as well as reliable administration procedures across sites. Results by confirmatory factor analyses specified and validated five different models in each grade to identify the best conceptualization of language dimensionality in the respective age groups.</div><div><b>Results: </b>Four-dimensional model provided a slightly better discriminant validity in language data of the preschool group. However, in kindergarten and first grades, the five-dimensional model had the best fit to the data to the four-dimensional.</div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> These findings support the multidimensionality of oral language ability at this phase of development and increase of factor distinctiveness as children grow.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Supplemental Material S1. </b>Data handling procedures; model testing procedures and criteria. </div><div><br></div><div>Mouzaki, A., Spyropoulou, E., Ralli, Antoniou, F., Diamanti, V., & Papaioannou, S. (2020). The dimensionality of oral language ability: Evidence from young Greek children.<i> Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.</i> Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-19-00008</div>