Nature and Extent of Preschoolers' Language Delays in a Disadvataged Community

View/ Open
Author(s)
Hay, Ian
Elias, Gordon
Homel, Ross
Freiberg, Kate
Ernst, Ruth
Jensen, Hether
Year published
2003
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The nature and prevalence of preschool children's language delays in an economically disadvantaged Brisbane community was investigated using three standardised language measures. The instruments assessed children's expressive vocabulary knowledge, receptive vocabulary knowledge, and provided measures of language form and grammar. These aspects of language were investigated in a sample of 157 children exiting preschool (mean age 5 years 3 months). Nineteen percent of the children performed at, or below, the 4-year-old level on the expressive vocabulary test and thirty-eight percent of the children had receptive vocabulary ...
View more >The nature and prevalence of preschool children's language delays in an economically disadvantaged Brisbane community was investigated using three standardised language measures. The instruments assessed children's expressive vocabulary knowledge, receptive vocabulary knowledge, and provided measures of language form and grammar. These aspects of language were investigated in a sample of 157 children exiting preschool (mean age 5 years 3 months). Nineteen percent of the children performed at, or below, the 4-year-old level on the expressive vocabulary test and thirty-eight percent of the children had receptive vocabulary scores below the 4-year-old level. Grammar and language form were also significantly delayed. The educational implications of these delays are discussed along with suggestions for interventions. The research is part of a joint project conducted by Griffith University, Mission Australia and Education Queensland and funded by the Australian Research Council.
View less >
View more >The nature and prevalence of preschool children's language delays in an economically disadvantaged Brisbane community was investigated using three standardised language measures. The instruments assessed children's expressive vocabulary knowledge, receptive vocabulary knowledge, and provided measures of language form and grammar. These aspects of language were investigated in a sample of 157 children exiting preschool (mean age 5 years 3 months). Nineteen percent of the children performed at, or below, the 4-year-old level on the expressive vocabulary test and thirty-eight percent of the children had receptive vocabulary scores below the 4-year-old level. Grammar and language form were also significantly delayed. The educational implications of these delays are discussed along with suggestions for interventions. The research is part of a joint project conducted by Griffith University, Mission Australia and Education Queensland and funded by the Australian Research Council.
View less >
Conference Title
Reimagining Practice: Researching Change Volume Two: Proceedings of the 1st Annual International Conference on Cognition, Language, and Special Education Research
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2003 Griffith University. This is the published version of the paper. It is posted here with permission of the copyright owners for your personal use only. No further distributions permitted. For information about this conference please contact the authors.