Younger children experience lower levels of language competence and academic progress in the first year of school: evidence from a population study

Abstract

BackgroundThe youngest children in an academic year are reported to be educationally disadvantaged and overrepresented in referrals to clinical services. In this study we investigate for the first time whether these disadvantages are indicative of a mismatch between language competence at school entry and the academic demands of the classroom.MethodsWe recruited a population sample of 7,267 children aged 4 years 9 months to 5 years 10 months attending state‐maintained reception classrooms in Surrey, England. Teacher ratings on the Children's Communication Checklist‐Short (CCC‐S), a measure of language competence, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire‐Total Difficulties Score (SDQ), a measure of behavioural problems, and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), a measure of academic attainment, were obtained at the end of the reception year.ResultsThe youngest children were rated by teachers as having more language deficits, behaviour problems, and poorer academic progress at the end of the school year. Language deficits were highly associated with behaviour problems; adjusted odds ratio 8.70, 95% CI [7.25–10.45]. Only 4.8% of children with teacher‐rated language deficits and 1.3% of those with co‐occurring language and behaviour difficulties obtained a ‘Good Level of Development’ on the EYFSP. While age predicted unique variance in academic attainment (1%), language competence was the largest associate of academic achievement (19%).ConclusionThe youngest children starting school have relatively immature language and behaviour skills and many are not yet ready to meet the academic and social demands of the classroom. At a population level, developing oral language skills and/or ensuring academic targets reflect developmental capacity could substantially reduce the numbers of children requiring specialist clinical services in later years.

Children with Language Impairment: Prevalence, Associated Difficulties, and Ethnic Disproportionality in an English Population

“…Furthermore, our study has shown that there is also a substantial association between identification as having SLCN and age within year group. This is supported by a recent study of children in reception classes (the year before Year 1), in one English county, which found a highly significant relationship between teacherrated language difficulties and age within this year group of 4-to 5-year-old children (Norbury et al, 2016). We propose that the high level of identified SLCN in the early years of schooling in England is related to the attribution of children having SEN rather than age appropriate development.…”

“…Given these adverse factors, it is not surprising that children with LI also have lower educational attainments across school subjects: at the end of reception class (Norbury et al, 2016) and at the transition from both primary to secondary school (from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 in England), age 11 years (Durkin et al, 2014) and at the age of 16, the end of compulsory education in the UK (Conti-Ramsden et al, 2009;Dockrell et al, 2011). There are also associations between LI and the risk of maltreatment, encompassing both abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional) and neglect (physical or emotional), see Lum et al (2015).…”

“…The differences in rates reflect the age of children and range of LI examined, and the means of assessment. For example, Tomblin et al identified children who met the clinical criteria for specific language impairment (SLI), whereas Beitchman et al included a broader group; Silva examined 3-year-olds rather than children aged 5-6 years old, as did Stevenson and Richman (1976) in the UK; Norbury et al (2016) examined 4-to 5-year-olds using teacher completed rating scales.…”

“…Keywords: language impairment, ethnicity, english as an additional language, special educational needs, overrepresentation analysis, speech language and communication needs, needs-based assessment, diagnostic assessment inTrODUcTiOn Epidemiological studies of language impairment (LI) have reported high prevalence among children aged 5-6 years (Beitchman et al, 1986;Tomblin et al, 1997;Norbury et al, 2016). Follow-up studies of children with LI have shown that, as a group, they are at enhanced risk of a range of other developmental difficulties (Johnson et al, 1999(Johnson et al, , 2010.…”

Does a child’s language ability affect the correspondence between parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms?

“…Participants were recruited from the Surrey Communication and Language in Education Study (SCALES), a longitudinal population study of risk for language impairment at school entry [27, 28]. In stage 1, teachers in state-maintained mainstream reception classrooms (age 4–5 years: equivalent to US Kindergarten) in Surrey, England completed online assessments of language using the Children’s Communication Checklist-Short, (CCC-S:[29]), behaviour (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ:[30]), and early educational attainment using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, (EYFSP:[31]) for 6459 monolingual children aged between 57 and 70 months.…”