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Articles on Assessment
John, S., & Rajashekhar, B. (2014). Word retrieval ability on semantic fluency task in typically developing Malayalam-speaking children, Child Neuropsychology, 20(2), 182-195.
Word-retrieval abilities in children can be assessed using word generation or verbal fluency tasks. The ability to retrieve a word is related to the individual’s ability to retrieve associated words from the mental lexicon (a kind of mental dictionary) in an organized manner. This study focused on these development aspects in 1,015 Malayalam-speaking children between the ages of 5 and 15 across both genders. It established that there was no significant variation in development of word retrieval abilities between genders, with linear development indicated across the age span.
McGrane, J, Stiff, J, Lenkeit, J, Hopfenbeck, T.N., Baird, J. (2017). Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): National Report for England. London: Department for Education.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative study directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The aim of PIRLS is to assess and compare the reading performance of pupils in their fourth year of formal schooling across participating countries. A total of 50 countries took part in PIRLS 2016, and this report evaluates England's performance. England has taken part in all four PIRLS cycles every five years since 2001. In 2016, England’s sample consisted of 5,095 Year 5 pupils from 170 primary schools. The report highlights that England has consistently performed above the International Median across all previous PIRLS cycles, and was among the top-performing countries in PIRLS 2001, with an average score of 553. England’s average performance dropped to 539 in PIRLS 2006, but rose back up to 552 in PIRLS 2011.
Puranik, C.S., Lonigan, C.J. (2011). From Scribbles to Scrabble: Preschool Children’s Developing Knowledge of Written Language, Read Writ, 24, 567–589.
This study concurrently examines the development of written language across different writing tasks and investigates how writing features develop in preschool children. Emergent written language knowledge of 372 preschoolers is assessed using numerous writing tasks. The findings indicate that children demonstrate knowledge about writing before beginning school and receiving formal instruction. There is clear evidence to support the claim that universal writing features develop before language-specific features. Children as young as 3 years possess knowledge regarding universal and language- specific writing features. Preschoolers appear to progress along a continuum from scribbling to conventional spelling. Although this progression is sequential, children’s writing proficiency is task dependent. Implications of these findings on writing development are discussed.
