Thesis (Specialist in School Psychology)--Eastern Illinois University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-47).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-147). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 78-80).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 110-120.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-80). Also available in print.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal perceived locus of control (PLOC), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), and mother and child gains during a mother-implemented early language and print awareness program. Thirty mother-child dyads (with typically-developing, preschool-aged children) were randomly assigned to either an immediate-training group (ITG) or a delayed-training control group (DTCG). The mothers in the ITG participated in 4 training sessions over the course of a month. Data about mothers’ use of target strategies, mothers’ responsivity, children’s knowledge of print concepts, and child language samples were collected at baseline, 1-month, and 2-months for both groups. The training program was efficacious, as evidenced by greater gains in the ITG mothers’ target strategy use, responsivity, and children’s knowledge of print concepts as compared to DTCG mothers and children respectively. The ITG children significantly increased the number of different words they produced during their language samples from baseline to follow-up. Mothers with a more external PLOC and/or a lower PSE score tended to use fewer strategies at baseline and make greater gains in strategy use over the course of training. Similarly, children whose mothers had a more external PLOC tended to identify fewer print concepts at baseline and make greater gains during training. Conversely, children whose mothers had a lower sense of PSE tended to use a greater variety of words and have a higher number of different words/number of total words ratio at baseline. The results of this study support the incorporation of maternal PLOC and PSE into evidence-based clinical decision-making and provide avenues for future research.

ABSTRACT LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PREDICTORS OF READING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE DISORDERS by Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between language and reading in children diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD) during preschool. An archival data set was available for analysis. Preschool children with DLD who were assessed between 35 and 74 months for preschool language and speech abilities (Rapin, 1996) returned for language, speech and reading testing at age seven years. Children who enrolled in the study were a clinically referred sample, met criteria for average nonverbal intellectual functioning, and demonstrated below average performance on a composite language measure. To evaluate a hypothesis about the contribution of vocabulary, grammar, and speech articulation to reading outcome measures, a series of regression analyses tested models to identify predictors of reading achievement at age seven. Results indicated a strong, positive relationship between language skills assessed at both ages and reading comprehension. School-age language and speech skills explained 25% of the variance in reading comprehension after controlling for word identification skills. Grammar at school age was a significant unique predictor of reading comprehension. Preschool language and speech skills explained 22% of the variance after controlling for word identification skills. Speech articulation was not related to reading outcomes. In contrast, regression analyses suggested that language and speech skills did not predict word reading abilities. Children who had reading comprehension difficulties had weaker vocabulary, grammar and speech skills compared to children who had average and above comprehension skills. Findings support previous research describing a relationship between language skills and reading comprehension. Language skills measured at preschool can predict reading comprehension difficulties in elementary school for children with DLD. Results highlight the importance of early identification and intervention of language impairment in children to improve areas of vocabulary and grammar critical to reading success.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2006. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 129 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

The overall aim of this study is to analyze and describe the reading of a group of pupils in a preschool class and grade 1 and to search for links between preschool language and cognitive skills and early literacy development. A total of 49 pupils participated in the study and their literacy development was analyzed over two consecutive years in preschool class and grade 1, partly by teacher evaluations and partly by reading tests. In the autumn term of the preschool class the pupils’ phono­logical awareness, letter knowledge, impressive and expressive voca­bulary, short-term memory and syntactic skills were tested. The main aim was to examine how these skills predicted reading in preschool class and grade 1. Single correlation analyses revealed that phonological awareness, letter knowledge, short-term memory and syntactic skills were sig­nificantly related to literacy development, whereas these patterns of prediction were not found regarding verbal skills. When analyzing the unique contribution of every single predictor to explain variations in reading ability, phonological awareness gives a specific additional contribution to reading abili­ty in preschool class, whereas letter knowledge gives an addi­tion­al contribution both in preschool class and grade 1. These patterns of prediction were not found regarding more general verbal skills or memory.  When prior reading ability is also taken into consideration, the prediction of the analyzed preschool skills declines and it is mainly the prior reading ability that is significantly related to literacy deve­lopment. This study indicates the importance of success in early literacy development. To make this possible for all students the teachers must be able to identify the developmental stage to build upon. An impor­tant conclusion is that reading education must rely on a solid theoreti­cal basis and the use of a diagnostic approach.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, (PPVT-R) and receptive subtest of the Preschool Language Scale (PLS), and between the PPVT-R and the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language-Revised (TACL-R), as well as determine how the tests compare in identifying children in need of further evaluation in the area of receptive language. The reasoning behind the goal of this study was to determine that if the three tests showed a strong, positive correlation and identified the same children as needing further assessment, then perhaps the test which was easier and shorter to administer (the PPVT-R) could be used with more confidence 2 as a quick, reliable screening tool of overall receptive language ability. In other words, if a child does poorly on the PPVT-R, one could assume that the child would most likely score below average on the other two tests also. Based on the results of this study, one cannot make this assumption.