1. CHAPTER 8: Language and Bilingual Assessment
Assessing Students with Special Needs
Fifth Edition
John J. Venn
University of North Florida
© 2014, 2007, 2004 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2. Overview Defining language assessment Why do we assess language?
Assessing components of language
Comprehensive language assessment
Students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Students with severe communication disorders

3. Overview
Language includes receptive and expressive communication, including listening and speaking
Language is the foundation for academic learning
Many students have language deficits and require assessment and intervention
Speech difficulties are the most common deficits

4. Why Do We Assess Language?
To screen children with potential speech or language problems
To identify and provide services for children with speech and language deficits
To help develop individual plans and intervention programs
To measure the progress

5. Definition and Description
Involves using symbolic communication to send and receive messages
Includes
expressive (sending messages),
receptive (receiving messages), and
inner language (thought within oneself)
Language problems are the most common disability among school children

6. Considerations Many tests rely on language-based items
Most language tests are for young children
Language therapists and teachers should work together to remediate disorders
Students with learning disabilities may exhibit word meaning and memory deficits

7. Structural Components
Phonics
Articulating speech sounds
Boy includes three phonemes: b, o and y
Morphemes and Syntax
Using grammar in words and sentences
Boys has two morphemes: boy and s
Semantics and Pragmatics
Using word meanings and language in context

8. Evaluating Phonics Phonics – the sounds of language
Assessing how children use speech sounds
Articulation disorders are the most common speech disorder
Speech pathologists use clinical evaluation and formal testing to assess phonics
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, Second Edition
Widely used phonics test

9. Evaluating Phonics
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, Second Edition
Provides a structured way to evaluate how well students articulate consonant sounds
For children from 2 to 21 years of age
Includes a sounds-in-words subtest, a sounds-in sentences subtest, and a measure of how well children correct misarticulations
Frequently used by speech pathologists as part of speech therapy

10. Evaluating Morphology and Syntax
Assessing morphology involves measuring how well children understand and use appropriate words and word structures
Assessing syntax involves measuring how well children understand the meaning of sentences and form grammatically correct sentences
Assessment includes use of Informal assessment and formal tests

11. Evaluating Morphology and Syntax
Informal Language Sampling Procedures
Mean Length of Utterance
Developmental Sentence Scoring
Computer Assisted Language Sampling Analysis

12. Evaluating Morphology and Syntax
Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language
Assesses auditory comprehension of language
Subtests for measuring
Vocabulary – literal meaning of words
Morphology – grammatical morphemes
Syntax – meaning from sentences
For students from 3 to 9 years of age
Helps identify children with deficits, measure school readiness, plan instruction, and monitor progress

13. Evaluating Semantics and Pragmatics
Assessing semantics focuses on measuring receptive and expressive vocabulary
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition
Assessing pragmatics focuses on how students use language in context
Test of Pragmatic Language, Second Edition

14. Evaluating Semantics and Pragmatics
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition
Widely used test of semantics
Measures receptive language vocabulary
Age range: 2.6 years to 90+
Does not require reading or writing ability
Used to screen children and adults at all levels of ability

15. Evaluating Semantics and Pragmatics
Test of Pragmatic Language, Second Edition
Measures use of social language skills in context
For students from 6 to 18 years of age
Given by showing pictures of social context situations
Focuses on the ability to monitor and judge responses to resolve social problem situations

16. Comprehensive Tests A variety of comprehensive tests are available
Provide subtests for assessing a range and variety of language skills
Test of Language Development – Primary, Fourth Edition
One of the most widely used measures

17. Comprehensive Measures
Test of Language Development – Primary, Fourth Edition
Comprehensive, diagnostic assessment
Nine subtest areas
For students from 4 to 8 years of age
Helps identify language disorders and isolate specific deficits needing remediation

18. English Language Learners
Students who have a native language other than English
An increasing number of students are ELLs
Majority of ELLs speak Spanish
Assessing ELLs is challenging

19. English Language Learners
Current assessment procedures are inadequate
Lack of standards and guidelines
Procedures include
Translating tests into native languages
Using interpreters
Using tests in native languages
Relying on bilingual test administrators

20. Severe Communication Disorders
Disabilities such as physical impairments, intellectual disabilities, and severe autism may result in severe communication disorders
Students may be nonvocal or nonverbal

21. Severe Communication Disorders
Functional Language Assessment Steps
Ecological assessment
Met & unmet needs
Future needs
Team assessment
Progress monitoring
Data collection

22. Summary Language assessment is complex
Wide variety of assessment tools
Assessments for each component of language
Phonics, morphemes & syntax, semantics & pragmatics
Comprehensive measures of language