Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Research Articles

Early Childhood Dietary Intake and Subsequent Socioemotional and Cognitive School Readiness Among Australian Children.

Dietary intake can affect the physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development of young children. Few studies have explored the relationships between dietary intake and the cognitive and socioemotional dimensions of school readiness. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between children's dietary intake in early childhood, and cognitive and socioemotional school readiness indicators at age 4-5 years using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. A total of 4,253 children were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression models were built to investigate whether dietary intake (measured by questionnaire at parent interview) at age 2-3 years predicted school readiness indicators of socioemotional and behavioral functioning (measured by parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ total score and pro-social scale]), verbal (assessed by Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition [PPVT-III]) and nonverbal (assessed by "Who Am I" test [WAI] cognitive skills) at age 4-5 years. Furthermore, using cross-sectional data at age 4-5 years, four multiple linear regression models were built to investigate if dietary intake was correlated with the aforementioned school readiness indicators. All models were adjusted for potential confounders. It was found that every one-point increase in child dietary intake score at age 2-3 years led to a decrease in SDQ total score by 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.10, 0.28], and an increase in SDQ pro-social scale, WAI score and PPVT score by 0.07 (95% CI = [0.03, 0.10]), 0.27 (95% CI = [0.13, 0.41]), and 0.20 (95% CI = [0.09, 0.30]), respectively, at age 4-5 years. Children's dietary intake was also a correlate of their school readiness at age 4-5 years. These results add to the limited evidence base suggesting that children's early dietary intake may play an important role in later socioemotional and behavioral development, and the development of cognitive skills, which are critical school readiness indicators.

Drinking or Smoking While Breastfeeding and Later Cognition in Children.

Although prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure are associated with reduced cognition in children, associations between consumption of alcohol during lactation and cognition have not been examined. We aimed to examine whether drinking or smoking while breastfeeding lowers children's cognitive scores. We hypothesized that increased drinking or smoking would be associated with dose-dependent cognitive reductions. Data were sourced from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants were 5107 Australian infants recruited in 2004 and assessed every 2 years. Multivariable linear regression analyses assessed relationships between drinking and smoking habits of breastfeeding mothers and children's Matrix Reasoning, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition and Who Am I? scores at later waves. Increased or riskier wave 1 maternal alcohol consumption was associated with reductions in Matrix Reasoning scores at age 6 to 7 years in children who had been breastfed (B = -0.11; SE = 0.03; 95% confidence interval: -0.18 to -0.04; P = .01). This relationship was not evident in infants who had never breastfed (B = -0.02; SE = 0.10; 95% confidence interval = -0.20 to 0.17; P = .87). Smoking during lactation was not associated with any outcome variable. Exposing infants to alcohol through breastmilk may cause dose-dependent reductions in their cognitive abilities. This reduction was observed at age 6 to 7 years but was not sustained at age 10 to 11 years. Although the relationship is small, it may be clinically significant when mothers consume alcohol regularly or binge drink. Further analyses will assess relationships between alcohol consumption or tobacco smoking during lactation and academic, developmental, physical, and behavioral outcomes in children.

Cognate identification methods: Impacts on the cognate advantage in adult and child Spanish-English bilinguals.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether four different cognate identification methods resulted in notably different classifications of cognate status for Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III) test items and to investigate whether differences across criteria would impact findings of cognate effects in adult and preschool-aged Spanish-English bilingual speakers. We compared four cognate identification methods: an objective criterion based on phonological overlap; two subjective criteria based on a translation elicitation task; and a hybrid criterion integrating objective and subjective standards. We then used each criterion to investigate cognate effects on the PPVT-III in 26 adult and 73 child Spanish-English bilinguals. The test items identified as cognates by each criterion were compared (Experiment 1). Then, cognate advantage magnitudes, cognate accuracy rates, non-cognate accuracy rates, and number of individuals demonstrating the cognate advantage were investigated in both adult (Experiment 2) and child bilinguals (Experiment 3). Objective and subjective cognate identification methods were found to select notably different subsets of test items as cognates. Further, the methods led to differences in cognate effects, as well as in cognate and non-cognate accuracy rates, for both child and adult bilinguals. Although the cognate advantage has been widely studied in adult bilinguals, research on the cognate advantage in child bilinguals is limited and methods of identifying cognates are inconsistent across studies. The present study provides information about cognate effects in a young population and is the first comparison of objective and subjective approaches to cognate identification. This study extends previous work on cognate word processing in both child and adult bilinguals. Further, results offer an evaluation of methodologies that are critical for investigating the cognate advantage. This both facilitates interpretation of previous findings and can be used to guide methodological decisions in future research.

Examining the Classification Accuracy of a Vocabulary Screening Measure With Preschool Children

This study investigated the classification accuracy of the Dynamic Indicators of Vocabulary Skills (DIVS) as a preschool vocabulary screening measure. With a sample of 240 preschoolers, fall and winter DIVS scores were used to predict year-end vocabulary risk using the 25th percentile on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Third Edition (PPVT-III) to denote risk status. Results indicated that DIVS Picture Naming Fluency (PNF) and Reverse Definition Fluency (RDF) demonstrated very good accuracy in classifying students according to year-end vocabulary risk status. The DIVS measures also demonstrated stronger accuracy than demographic characteristics known to be indicators of vocabulary difficulties (socioeconomic status, English learner [EL] status, and sex). Combining PNF and RDF did not result in sufficient improvement in accuracy to justify administering both measures as opposed to just one. Further examination of predictive probability values revealed the potential for DIVS measures to improve the precision of vocabulary risk identification over considering EL status alone. Overall, results supported the use of the DIVS as a brief and inexpensive tool for preschool vocabulary screening.

Performance of a receptive language test among young children in Madagascar.

Language tests developed and validated in one country may lose their desired properties when translated for use in another, possibly resulting in misleading estimates of ability. Using Item Response Theory (IRT) methodology, we assess the performance of a test of receptive vocabulary, the U.S.-validated Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III), when translated, adapted, and administered to children 3 to 10 years of age in Madagascar (N = 1372), in the local language (Malagasy). Though Malagasy is considered a single language, there are numerous dialects spoken in Madagascar. Our findings were that test scores were positively correlated with age and indicators of socio-economic status. However, over half (57/96) of items evidenced unexpected response variation and/or bias by local dialect spoken. We also encountered measurement error and reduced differentiation among person abilities when we used the publishers’ recommended stopping rules, largely because we lost the original item ordering by difficulty when we translated test items into Malagasy. Our results suggest that bias and testing inefficiency introduced from the translation of the PPVT can be significantly reduced with the use of methods based on IRT at both the pre-testing and analysis stages. We explore and discuss implications for cross-cultural comparisons of internationally recognized tests, such as the PPVT.

Detrimental for Some? Heterogeneous Effects of Maternal Incarceration on Child Wellbeing.

We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,197) to consider the heterogeneous effects of maternal incarceration on 9-year-old children. We find that maternal incarceration has no average effects on child well-being (measured by caregiver-reported internalizing problem behaviors, caregiver-reported externalizing problem behaviors, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition scores, and child-reported early juvenile delinquency) but that the effects vary by mothers' propensities for experiencing incarceration. Maternal incarceration is deleterious for children of mothers least likely to experience incarceration but mostly inconsequential for children of mothers more likely to experience incarceration. It is important that public policies take into account the fact that not all children experience similar effects of maternal incarceration. For children of mothers who are unlikely to experience incarceration, the negative consequences of maternal incarceration could be driven by at least three factors, all of which may be operating simultaneously and all of which potentially call for different policy interventions: (a) jail incarceration as opposed to prison incarceration, (b) incarceration for a crime that did minimal-or no-harm to their children, and (c) inadequate family supports for coping with maternal incarceration. We discuss these policy implications.

Assessing Growth in Young Children: A Comparison of Raw, Age-Equivalent, and Standard Scores Using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

Many tests provide users with several different types of scores to facilitate interpretation and description of students’ performance. Common examples include raw scores, age- and grade-equivalent scores, and standard scores. However, when used within the context of assessing growth among young children, these scores should not be interchangeable because they provide different information. To examine how raw, age-equivalent, and standard scores function when assessing growth among young children, this article uses scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Third Edition to compare the use of these scores for the purpose of measuring growth in receptive vocabulary skills among a sample of 259 low-income, predominantly Hispanic preschoolers age 3 to 5 years. Results suggest a notable floor effect in the distribution of age-equivalent scores that was not observed in the raw score or standard score distributions. This floor effect may significantly affect the results of correlational data analyses conducted with these scores. In light of these findings and combined with a trend in the literature in which researchers often do not provide a clear rationale for choosing which test scores to use in statistical analyses, the authors offer suggestions for researchers when using test scores as dependent variables.

Linguistic Mediation of Children's Performance in a New Symbolic Understanding Task

The effects of language on symbolic functioning were examined using the boxes task, a new symbolic understanding task based on DeLoache's model task. Children (N = 32; ages 2;4–3;8) observed an object being hidden in a stack of four boxes and were then asked to retrieve a similar object in the same location from a set of four target boxes. Each box was identified with a different object sitting on a small ledge in front of it. Language use was manipulated by providing linguistic scaffolding (naming vs. standard) and by using objects to identify the boxes whose names were either known or unknown to the children (familiar vs. language control). Home language environment (monolingual vs. bilingual) and verbal age (measured via the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition) were also examined. Main effects were found for type of object (with familiar objects yielding better performance), home linguistic environment (with bilingualism resulting in better performance), and verbal age. There was also a verbal age × linguistic scaffolds interaction: Verbal age was related to correct retrievals only in the naming condition. These results provide further evidence that language mediates children's symbolic development and indicate that the new boxes task is an effective way of evaluating young children's symbolic competencies.

A randomized trial of DHA intake during infancy: School readiness and receptive vocabulary at 2–3.5 years of age

BackgroundStudies investigating the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in infant formula on language development yield conflicting results. No study to date has investigated the effects of DHA in infant formula on school readiness. AimTo determine the effects of different dietary concentrations of DHA provided during the first 12months of life on language development and school readiness. DesignThis was a double-masked, randomized, controlled, prospective trial. A total of 182 infants were enrolled at 1–9days of age and assigned randomly to receive infant formula with one of four levels of DHA: control (0% DHA), 0.32% DHA, 0.64% DHA, or 0.96% DHA. All formulas with DHA also contained 0.64% arachidonic acid. One hundred forty-one children completed the 12-month feeding trial and were eligible for this study. Consent was obtained from 131 participants. School readiness was assessed at 2.5years using the Bracken Basic Concept Scale—Revised (BBCS-R) and receptive vocabulary was assessed at 2 and 3.5years using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Third Edition (PPVT-III). ResultsThere were no diet group differences on any of the BBCS-R subscales. On the PPVT-III, the control group had higher raw scores and standard scores than both the 0.32% and 0.96% groups at 2years of age. These differences were not evident at 3.5years. ConclusionsDietary DHA during the first year of life did not enhance school readiness or language development. Children who consumed infant formula with 0.32% and 0.96% DHA showed lower receptive vocabulary scores than controls at 2 but not 3.5years of age.

Intellectual, behavioral, and personality correlates of violent vs. non-violent juvenile offenders

The overall aim of this study was to examine the relationship between offender status (violent vs. nonviolent) and selected predictor variables from personality, behavioral, and intellectual domains. The two main sub goals were (a) to determine which variables from these domains were most closely associated with offender status, and (b) to construct a stepwise logistic regression model that could help identify which juveniles were more likely to be incarcerated for violent vs. nonviolent offenses. The participants for this investigation were juvenile offenders referred to the Juvenile Court Assessment Center by the Juvenile Justice Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The court-ordered assessment included the following measures: (a) The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), (b) the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC), (c) the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III), (d) the Wide Range Achievement Test-Third Edition (WRAT-III), (e) the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), and (f) records of school achievement. The ten variables that had the strongest association with offender status were entered into the stepwise logistic regression analysis; five of these strategically chosen predictor variables accurately differentiated violent from nonviolent offenders 86.3% of the time. Reading Percentile (β=-.051), PPVT-III (β=-.059), MACI-Inhibition (β=-.033), MACI-Eating Dysfunction (β=.051), and BASC-Sense of Inadequacy (β=-.072). Gender differences were explored.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children With Hemifacial Microsomia

To determine whether preadolescent children with hemifacial microsomia (HFM) have higher risk of neurodevelopmental delays than unaffected control individuals. Case-control follow-up study of neurodevelopment in children with and without HFM. Case individuals were originally recruited from 26 craniofacial centers across the United States and Canada, and controls were recruited through community pediatricians. One hundred thirty-six children with HFM (cases) and 568 unaffected children (controls). Main Exposure History of HFM. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition, the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration-Fifth Edition, and the Academic Competence scales from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher Report Form. Children with HFM scored lower than controls on all measures (effect size=-0.27 to -0.45; P<.001 to P=.008). Compared with controls, cases were 2 to 3 times as likely to score in the at-risk range. Relative to controls, outcomes were worse for male cases and those whose mothers were 25 years or younger at the time of their birth. Cases with HFM plus other malformations had poorer outcomes, as did cases with hearing, vision, or speech impairments. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to show that children with HFM have poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes than unaffected children, but further study using more detailed assessments is indicated. Clinically, the findings suggest that early neurodevelopmental screening is warranted for all children with HFM.

The role of home and school factors in predicting English vocabulary among bilingual kindergarten children in Singapore

ABSTRACTResearch in monolingual populations indicate that vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading achievement, but how vocabulary develops in bilingual children has been understudied. The current study investigated the role of home and school factors in predicting English vocabulary among 284 bilingual kindergartners (168 Chinese, 65 Malay, 51 Indian) in the multilingual context of Singapore. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Third Edition was administered in English and in translations into Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Home factors including caretaker language, television language, and mother tongue vocabulary were found to be significant predictors of English vocabulary, controlling for mother's years of education and family income. The curriculum emphasis of the kindergarten center was also found to be a significant predictor of English vocabulary.

Does growth rate in oral reading fluency matter in predicting reading comprehension achievement?

In this study, we examined the relationship of growth trajectories of oral reading fluency, vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter-naming fluency, and nonsense word reading fluency from 1st grade to 3rd grade with reading comprehension in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. Data from 12,536 children who were followed from kindergarten to 3rd grade longitudinally were used. These children were administered Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills subtests, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition, and reading comprehension (Stanford Achievement Test, 10th ed.) tasks multiple times in each year. Students' initial status and rate of growth in each predictor within each grade were estimated using individual growth modeling. These estimates were then used as predictors in dominance regression analyses to examine relative contributions that the predictors made to the outcome: reading comprehension. Among the 1st-grade predictors, individual differences in growth rate in oral reading fluency in 1st grade, followed by vocabulary skills and the autoregressive effect of reading comprehension, made the most contribution to reading comprehension in 3rd grade. Among the 2nd- and 3rd-grade predictors, children's initial status in oral reading fluency had the strongest relationships with their reading comprehension skills in 3rd grade.

Language Outcomes Following Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with CNS Chemotherapy: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Using cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches, the current research investigated the language skills of two boys following CNS-targeted chemotherapy-only treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. A single case-multiple comparison study of each boy's general language skills, as assessed by the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition Form A, and the Hundred Pictures Naming Test, and each boy's high level language skills as assessed by the Test of Language Competence-Expanded Edition, and the Test of Problem Solving-Elementary, Revised or the Test of Problem Solving-3 was undertaken. Additionally, using test norms only for comparison, the boys' language skills were assessed three times over a two-year period. The findings suggest that the language skills of both boys were generally within one standard deviation of their respective control group's mean, although one boy was experiencing moderate difficulty with high-level language tasks. Between assessment 2 and 3, the receptive language skills of both boys declined, and competence with high level language tasks declined considerably for one boy and slightly for the other. The results suggest that language skills require monitoring following CNS chemotherapy.

The Relationship Between Reading and Intelligence in Primary School Aged Children: Implications for Definitional Models of Dyslexia

The validity of definitional models of development dyslexia (DD) derived from the difference between intelligence and reading quotients, is challenged by the failure of these models to consider expected developmental changes in the relationship between these constructs. The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in the correlations between verbal and nonverbal intelligence and reading ability. One hundred and twenty six children aged between 7 11 years of age were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Third Edition (PPVT-III, a measure of verbal intelligence) the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM, as a measure of non-verbal intelligence) and various measures of reading ability (the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability Revised, NARA, and selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of AchievementRevised, WJ-Ach). The PPVT-III had significantly stronger correlations than the CPM with reading rate, single word reading, and a measure of text comprehension. Both measures correlated poorly with pseudo-word reading. Despite differences between the two intelligence measures, both correlated more strongly with measures of reading comprehension than with traditionally defined measures of decoding ability. These results are discussed in the context of the validity of current definitions of DD. The need for greater consideration of the appropriateness of certain assessment measures at various ages both in testing and in the interpretation of previous studies,

The MTHFR 677C→T polymorphism and behaviors in children with autism: exploratory genotype–phenotype correlations

New evidence suggests that autism may be associated with (a) varied behavioral responses to folate therapy and (b) metabolic anomalies, including those in folate metabolism, that contribute to hypomethylation of DNA. We hypothesized that children with autism who are homozygous for the MTHFR 677 T allele (TT) and, to a lesser extent those with the CT variant, would exhibit more behavioral problems and/or more severe problematic behaviors than homozygous wild-type (CC) individuals because of difficulties in effectively converting 5,10-MTHF to 5-MTHF. Data from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) collection were analyzed for all children who met strict criteria for autism per the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and who had been genotyped for the 677 C to T MTHFR polymorphism (n=147). Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and one-way ANOVAs were used to determine whether differences existed among MTHFR genotypes for specific behaviors on the ADI-R and indices for level of functioning. Exploratory results indicated four behaviors from the ADI-R that were more common and problematic (95% CI) among those with at least one copy of the T allele as compared to homozygous wild-type individuals: direct gaze, current complex body movements, a history of self-injurious behavior, and current overactivity (ORs=2.72, 2.33, 2.12, 2.47, respectively). No differences existed among genotypes for level of functioning as measured with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition, Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices, or the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Findings call for further investigation of the relationship between folate metabolism and problem behaviors among children with autism.

Lexical acquisition over time in minority first language children learning English as a second language

ABSTRACTThe English second language development of 19 children (mean age at outset = 5 years, 4 months) from various first language backgrounds was examined every 6 months for 2 years, using spontaneous language sampling, parental questionnaires, and a standardized receptive vocabulary test. Results showed that the children's mean mental age equivalency and standard scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Third Edition nearly met native-speaker expectations after an average of 34 months of exposure to English, a faster rate of development than has been reported in some other research. Children displayed the phenomenon of general all-purpose verbs through overextension of the semantically flexible verb do, an indicator of having to stretch their lexical resources for the communicative context. Regarding sources of individual differences, older age of second language onset and higher levels of mother's education were associated with faster growth in children's English lexical development, and nonverbal intelligence showed some limited influence on vocabulary outcomes; however, English use in the home had no consistent effects on vocabulary development.

Level of Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Phenotypic Congruence Among Affected Siblings

Little evidence supports that siblings with autism exhibit the same behaviors; however, some findings suggest that level of functioning shows familial aggregation. We tested this notion among multiplex families participating with the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) Consortium, using scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (N = 204 families), the Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices (N = 226 families), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (N = 348 families). Intraclass Correlation Coefficients revealed that siblings with autism/autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were more similar on measures of verbal and nonverbal IQ and adaptive functioning than were unrelated children with autism/ASD. Preliminary twin correlations indicated strong genetic effects for some skill domains and the influence of shared environmental factors for others.

Neurobehavioral Outcomes After Early Versus Late Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury

To examine differences in outcomes at transition age (17-21 years) between individuals who sustained complicated mild-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in early or middle childhood and those who were injured in late adolescence. Fifteen persons who sustained TBI between the ages of 6 and 12 years (early-onset) and 30 persons who sustained TBI between the ages of 16 and 20 years (late-onset). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition, Trail-Making Test, Buschke Selective Reminding Test, Benton Visual Retention Test, Dysexecutive Questionnaire, Community Integration Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale. The groups did not differ in overall cognitive ability level, postinjury education or vocational accomplishments, or current living situation. However the early-onset group demonstrated worse outcomes in higher-level cognitive skills, social integration, driving, and legal guardianship. Complicated mild-to-severe TBI earlier in childhood is associated with worse long-term neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes than injury sustained in late adolescence. Findings provide further support for theories that early brain injury onset interferes with development of immature or rapidly developing skills, and may be associated with further magnification of deficits during the course of later development.

Latent Class Analysis of Differential Item Functioning on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–III

This study investigated the use of latent class analysis for the detection of differences in item functioning on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Third Edition (PPVT-III). A two-class solution for a latent class model appeared to be defined in part by ability because Class 1 was lower in ability than Class 2 on both the PPVT-III and the Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT). This difference was much larger on the PPVT-III for the low-ability class. No difference was found for the high-ability latent class, suggesting that the difference was a result of something in the PPVT-III that was not present in the EVT. The difference on the PPVT-III for low-ability children appeared to be a result of the structure of the items on the test, which seems to encourage the overriding use of the novel name—nameless category strategy for the selection of an answer—a strategy not available on the EVT.