In the current study, we investigated the role of vocabulary knowledge in the relation between working memory (WM) and reading comprehension, in a sample of 55 typically developing 8-year-old Italian children. The role of WM in comprehension is well-established, as both involve similar processes for successful task performance (i.e., active…

We examined the concurrent relationship between narrative skills (the Renfrew Bus Story Test) and core language measures (vocabulary, grammar and verbal memory) at age 4 and the longitudinal relationship between core language and listening comprehension skills at age 7 in a sample of 215 children using latent variables and structural equation…

Listening comprehension is important for daily communication and at school, yet relatively little is known about the variables contributing to listening comprehension, especially in the upper elementary years. The aim of this study was to explore whether vocabulary, verbal memory, but also self-efficacy and self-reported concentration contribute…

This archival data study examined the relations between cognitive abilities and math reasoning for Hispanic English learner (EL) students in grades 1 through 5 with an identified learning disability. The 295 student participants were referred for an initial psycho-educational Spanish or English evaluation due to academic concerns by their school…

Research on secular trends in mean intelligence test scores shows smaller gains in vocabulary skills than in nonverbal reasoning. One possible explanation is that vocabulary test items become outdated faster compared to nonverbal tasks. The history of the usage frequency of the words on five popular vocabulary tests, the GSS Wordsum, Wechsler…

School psychologists should be aware of developmental risk factors for children who have been abused or neglected. The present study used the "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition" to examine the cognitive abilities of 120 children in foster care subsequent to maltreatment. Results indicated that, compared to a…

The current study examined whether Head Start children who experienced a high-quality preschool intervention, "Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy" ("ExCELL"), as three-year-olds began the subsequent pre-kindergarten (or four-year-old) year with stronger language and literacy skills than same-age peers who…

A fairly recent definition of reading disability (RD) is that in the form of a hybrid model. The model views RD as a latent construct that is manifested through various observable unexpected impairments in reading-related skills and through inadequate response to intervention. The current report evaluated this new conceptualization of RD from an…

The authors report data from a longitudinal study of the reading development of children who were assessed in the years of their 8th, 11th, 14th, and 16th birthdays. They examine the evidence for Matthew effects in reading and vocabulary between ages 8 and 11 in groups of children identified with good and poor reading comprehension at 8 years.…

Immigrant students may use and develop language and literacy skills differently depending on the dominance of the first and second language (L1 and L2) in the neighborhoods where they live. In this study, neighborhood effects on students' reported language use at home and with peers, and on measured language and literacy proficiency, were…

The "Expressive Vocabulary Test" (EVT) has recently been found culturally fair for an economically mixed sample of African American children, and others have argued that it is fairer for such participants than the "Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III" (PPVT-III). In this study, the authors sought to replicate these findings…

Analyzed the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) in a psychiatric sample of 329 children from 6 to 16 years old. Found 4 factors: Verbal Comprehension, Verbal Achievement, Perceptual Organization, and Number…

Investigated relationship of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) to academic achievement. PPVT-R was correlated with Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Findings from 181 elementary school children referred for special education evaluation suggest that the PPVT-R could be used to…

When administered to 87 boys and 53 girls in screening procedures, significant score correlations between Quick Test and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised intelligence quotients and between the Wide Range Achievement Test Reading scores indicated that Quick Test is an effective tool for making valid brief estimates of intelligence.…

Significant differences were found between the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised mean standard scores and Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs. The PPVT-R did not correlate significantly with the WISC-R scales or subtests, suggesting the tests are measuring different abilities. (Author)