What does a nonword repetition test reveal about a child's language learning?
Answer
Nonword repetition tests reveal phonological memory skills; i.e., how well a child can remember input. If you think about how a child learns words, they need to be able to hold on to an unknown word form long enough to tie it to a meaning, and then retain it and use it later. That is what we think nonword repetition shows us about language learning. Nonword repetition tests are strongly tied to poor language learning in that children who have language disorders score poorly on these tests. It is thought to be related to how well an individual can hold onto incoming material to learn it.
Kerry Danahy Ebert, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University. She is currently conducting an NIH-funded study on school-age bilingual children with language impairment.
Kerry Danahy Ebert, PhD, CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor
Kerry Danahy Ebert, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University. She teaches graduate student coursework in children’s speech and language disorders, performs outpatient speech-language assessment and treatment services, and conducts research on language disorders and their treatment in monolingual and bilingual children. She is currently conducting an NIH-funded study on school-age bilingual children with language impairment.
Related Courses
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This course discusses Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in English Learners (EL). Specific, research-based strategies are provided for developing academic vocabulary skills and phonological awareness skills in this group of students.
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Due to speech-language pathologist shortages and more diverse caseloads, monolingual SLPs are increasingly being asked to serve multilingual pediatric populations. Practical resources for conducting a comprehensive evaluation and use of the resulting information to differentiate communication differences and disorders are described in this course. Common questions and challenges, such as use of interpreters, are also discussed.
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This is Part 1 of the five-part series, Personal Narratives Across Diverse Cultures. This course will (1) explain the foundations of personal narratives and why personal narratives are a critical aspect of development, (2) describe influences of culture on autobiographical memories and personal narratives, and (3) identify strategies to promote the ability to tell detailed, coherent personal narratives. This course is presented in partnership with the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders (ABCLLD).
4https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/working-with-grain-appreciating-rich-9329Working with the Grain: Appreciating Rich Narrative Traditions from Diverse CulturesThis is Part 5 of the five-part series, Personal Narratives Across Diverse Cultures. This course will address a tested, replicated method for working with parents to improve narration in children who are struggling, and will describe the narrative traditions and values of diverse cultures. This course is presented in partnership with the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders (ABCLLD).auditory, textual, visual
This is Part 5 of the five-part series, Personal Narratives Across Diverse Cultures. This course will address a tested, replicated method for working with parents to improve narration in children who are struggling, and will describe the narrative traditions and values of diverse cultures. This course is presented in partnership with the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders (ABCLLD).
5https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/assessing-quality-narratives-produced-by-9589Assessing the Quality of Narratives Produced by School-age African American English SpeakersChildren draw upon cognitive resources to tell stories. This course provides an in-depth discussion of this cognition-narration connection and research relevant to this topic. Participants are taught how to analyze cognitive aspects of children’s narrative language and apply this information to management of children on their caseloads.auditory, textual, visual
Children draw upon cognitive resources to tell stories. This course provides an in-depth discussion of this cognition-narration connection and research relevant to this topic. Participants are taught how to analyze cognitive aspects of children’s narrative language and apply this information to management of children on their caseloads.
