Using a Teacher Rating Scale of Language and Literacy Skills with Preschool Children of English-Speaking, Spanish-Speaking, and Bilingual Backgrounds

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a teacher report measure, the Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL; Dickinson et al. in Teacher rating of oral language and literacy (TROLL): a research-based tool. Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2001) and a direct behavioral measure of language development, the Preschool Language Scale-4 (PLS-4; Zimmerman et al. in Preschool Language Scale-4. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, 2002), among English-speaking (n = 210), Spanishspeaking (n = 34), and English/Spanish bilingual (n = 109) typically-developing preschool children. Three hundred and fifty-three preschool children who attended early childhood education programs in an urban area of the Southwestern United States participated. Preschool teachers completed the TROLL, and the PLS-4 was individually administered to the children at preschool centers. The TROLL and PLS-4 were significantly correlated for English-speaking children, but with small effect sizes noted. For Spanish-speaking children, the TROLL and the expressive subscale of the PLS-4 were not significant, and for bilingual children the TROLL and PLS-4 were not significant. English-speaking children scored higher on the TROLL than the Spanish-speaking and bilingual children. Finally, a higher proportion of Spanish-speaking and bilingual children received a TROLL score at or below the 10th percentile. Results suggest that the TROLL did not adequately capture typically developing children's linguistic and literacy development in a uniform manner across language groups. Caution is recommended when relying upon a single instrument to describe the emergent literacy and language skills of preschool children from Spanish-speaking and bilingual backgrounds.

Reliability and Structural Validity of the Teacher Rating Scales of Early Academic Competence

“…A method of screening that addresses several of the challenges associated with direct assessment is use of standardized checklists or rating scales, which are widely used to assess behavioral and emotional functioning of school‐aged children (Wilson & Reschly, ). Using rating scales for initial screening purposes might be ideal given that the forms can be completed at the rater's convenience, require no training to complete, are generally easy to score, and when developed appropriately, provide reliable and accurate information (Rodriguez & Guiberson, ). Given their experience working with children in their classroom for extended periods, teachers are in a prime position to detect and report on children's strengths and weaknesses (Pool & Hourcade, ).…”

Invented rule with English language learners

“…Based on survey data from Head Start teachers, Nungesser and Watkins (2005) suggested continuing need to educate teachers regarding the role of communication limitations and language based on teachers' misperceptions about the relationship between language and behavior in the classroom. Rodriguez and Guiberson (2011), who advocated teacher ratings of language, reported no significant correlation between a teacher report measure and a standardized language assessment for Spanish-speaking children. It is possible that the teacher perceptions of the child's language learning could be based on other behavioral variables not explored in this investigation.…”

“…Lloyd, Kauffman, Landrum, and Roe (1991) reported that the majority of special education referrals are made by classroom teachers. Both teacher reports and classroom observations have been recommended as alternative assessment tools for use with ELLs (Damico, 1991;Rodriguez & Guiberson, 2011). While classroom observations are utilized in assessments and teacher reports are common referral sources, there is need for collaboration between professionals to establish reliability between observation, report and alternative assessment measures (Rodriguez & Guiberson, 2011;Tabors, 2008) Based on a functional perspective of language development and disorder, we would expect that a child with language deficits in morphology would also likely have deficits in learning elements of language that could be observed by teachers and also would be less likely to engage in social use of language in the classroom (Bates & MacWhinney, 1981;Owens, 2010).…”

Developing Korean Version of Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL): A Preliminary Study

“…. 본 연구에 서는 국외의 선행연구들 (Dickinson et al, 2001Gregory & Oetting, 2018;Rodríguez & Guiberson, 2011) The values presented at the diagonal were item-subscale Cronbach α. **p < .01.…”

“…**p < .01. (Bradley & Bryant, 1983;Morais, 1991 (Bedore et al, 2011;Pua et al, 2017;Rodríguez & Guiberson, 2011), 이중언어 아동을 담당하고 있는 교사를 대상으로도 연 구를 확대하여 한국에서의 적용 가능성을 검증해 볼 필요가 있다.…”