A longitudinal study on the relationship between language assessments at 5–6 years of age and various social and psychological aspects later in life

• Main Authors: Björnsdótti, Amalía, Einarsdóttir, Jóhanna Thelma, Símonardóttir, Ingibjörg
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands 2016
• Subjects: language assessment; wellbeing; school experience; longitudinal study; málþroskamælingar; líðan; reynsla í grunnskóla; langtímarannsókn; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/index.php/netla/article/view/2396

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether language assessment at five years of age can predict various social and psychological aspects later in life. In 1997 and 1998, the language abilities of 267 preschool children in Iceland were examined with the HLJÓM2. The HLJÓM2 is a test evaluating the phonological awareness of preschool children and is administered in the majority of preschools in Iceland. It is a screening tool designed specifically for preschool teachers to identify children at risk of developing reading difficulties. Preschool teachers can administer this test only after receiving special training. Previous studies (Amalía Björnsdóttir, Ingibjörg Símonardóttir og Jóhanna T. Einarsdóttir, 2003; Jóhanna T. Einarsdóttir, Ingibjörg Símonardóttir og Amalía Björnsdóttir, 2011) have shown that the test results can predict later reading and academic achievement. The children in the original study are young adults (ages 18 and 19) and have completed compulsory school. They were contacted in 2011 and invited to take part in this longitudinal study on language assessment and academic achievement and to complete an online questionnaire on various social and psychological aspects of their life. Of the original 267 participants, 266 were alive, and 221 (83%) completed the online questionnaire and gave permission to have their answers linked to the results of the language assessment they had taken as preschoolers. The online questionnaire included questions on various aspects of the participants’ lives, including experiences in compulsory school, whether they had have been diagnosed with conditions that interfere with learning and whether they were attending or had attended secondary school. The average performance of the participants who completed the questionnaire was higher on the HLJÓM2 (M = 43.8, sd = 13.57) than the performance of those who did not want to participate or whom researchers were not able to locate (M=35.5 points, sd=13.27) (t (47.5)=3.48, p=0.001). This indicates that ...