Associations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age Children

Abstract

Original ArticlesAssociations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age ChildrenLisa M.D. Archibald, Marc F. Joanisse, and Melany ShepherdLisa M.D. Archibald University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Search for more papers by this author, Marc F. Joanisse University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Search for more papers by this author, and Melany Shepherd University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:February 26, 2015https://doi.org/10.1027/0044-3409.216.3.161PDFView Full Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreAbstractThree measures have been found to be predictive of developmental language impairment: nonword repetition, the production of English past tense, and categorical speech perception. Despite this, direct comparisons of these tasks have been limited. The present study explored the associations between these measures and other language and cognitive skills in an unselected group of 100 children aged 6 to 11 years. The children completed standardized tests of nonverbal ability, receptive language, and reading, as well as nonword repetition, past tense production, and categorical speech perception tasks. Nonword repetition and past tense were highly correlated. Variance in nonword repetition was explained additionally by digit recall, whereas receptive language, age, and digit recall accounted for significant portions of variance in past tense production. Categorical speech perception was not associated with any of the measures in the study. The extent to which common and distinct factors underlie the key language-related measures is discussed.References Adams, A.M. , Gathercole, S.E. (1995). Phonological working memory and speech production in preschool children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 38, 403–414. 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