Using a narrative retell tool; “Captain Grey and The Greedy Aliens”, what do typically developing children tell us about verb production at sentence level?
posted on 2014-10-10, 13:55authored bySinead O'Brien
Background: Research has found that children with Specific Language Impairment (CwSLI) often have difficulties with verb and verb structure. This research project has been undertaken to support development of a test of sentence production for children with language difficulties. Speech and Language Therapists currently have no comprehensive test of verb use in sentences of children with language impairments. A story retell tool, “Captain Grey and the Greedy Aliens”, was designed which targets a range of semantic-syntactic verb clauses and their associated argument structures.
Aims: To collect and analyse normative data from typically developing children aged 4; 06-12; 00 using a newly developed narrative retell told.
Methods and Procedures: The Test of Verb Knowledge (TOVK) and “Captain Grey and the Greedy Aliens” was administered to 91 typically developing children (TDC) aged 4;10-12;0 years. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS v.20. Qualitative analyse was carried out on the verb errors that occurred.
Outcomes and Results: A significant relationship was identified between verb knowledge and sentence level variables. Descriptive data indicated that there was a ceiling effect across the older age bands in the TOVK and sentence level variables. Verb errors were evident across all age bands with the majority of these being in the age bands on low frequency verbs.
Conclusions and Implications: This story retell tool could be a useful assessment in the identification of language impairments. Prior to standardisation a larger sample size should be recruited, in particular the children in the younger age bands.