Khan, K. S.,
Logan, J., Justice, L. M., Bowles, R. P., & Piasta, S. B. (2021). The
Contribution of Vocabulary, Grammar, and Phonological Awareness Across a
Continuum of Narrative Ability Levels in Young Children. Journal of
Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 1-15.
Storytelling,
or narrative ability, is a complex task that relies on many linguistic and
cognitive skills. Oral language skills such as vocabulary, grammar, and
phonological awareness support a child’s ability to both construct a story and
retell a story. As these lower-level language components (i.e., vocabulary,
grammar, phonological awareness) develop, increases are seen in the complexity
of a child’s narrative language skills. Prior research has demonstrated strong
associations between vocabulary, grammar, phonological awareness, and narrative
skills. However, what is less known about the relationship is what unique
contribution to narrative ability comes from each vocabulary, grammar, and
phonological awareness and if specific associations among these lower-level
skills vary at different points along the range of narrative ability.
In this study,
336 preschool and school age children completed an assessment battery to evaluate
narrative ability, vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness. A narrative
index was derived to reflect narrative skill while controlling for differences
in age. Results demonstrated that combined vocabulary, grammar, and
phonological awareness contributed to 13% of the variance in the narrative index.
To understand any specific associations between the lower-level skills and the
range of narrative ability, the authors looked at these associations for
children preforming below average, at average, and above average on the narrative
index. They found interesting differences across profile. For below average
profiles, phonological awareness and vocabulary accounted for significant
variance in narrative scores. For average profiles, grammar and vocabulary
accounted for significant variance, and for above average profiles, only
vocabulary accounted for a significant amount of the variance in narrative
scores.
Clinically, it
is interesting to note that different lower-level language skills accounted for
a significant amount of the variance in narrative ability at differing skill
levels. Further research has the potential to enhance our understanding for
identifying specific targets in therapy depending on skill level. These
findings also highlight the importance of vocabulary knowledge at any skill
level. This research increases our understanding of the relationship between
lower-level language skills and narrative ability.
Blogger: Meghan Vollebregt is a student in the combined SLP MClSc/PhD program working under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Archibald.
