Validity Study of the Preschool Language Scale-4 With English-Speaking Hispanic and European American Children in Head Start Programs

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Preschool Language Scale—4 (PLS-4) with a sample of English-speaking Hispanic and European American children who attended Head Start programs. Participants were 440 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years (52% male; 86% Hispanic and 14% European American). Participants were administered the PLS-4 and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—III (PPVT-III). The Auditory Comprehension and Expressive Communication subscales and Total Language scale scores for the PLS-4 in this sample had excellent reliability (Kuder Richardson—20s > .90). Validity evidence for the PLS-4 was present, with both subscales being positively correlated with PPVT-III scores. Agreement analysis between the PLS-4 and the PPVT-III indicated that the PLS-4 was less likely to identify a child as having a potential language delay than was the PPVT-III. The results largely support the validity of the PLS-4 for its intended purpose of assessing language skills with preschoolers.