Page 28 - Literacy Based Speech Language Therapy Activities Digital Version

Literacy-Based Speech Language Therapy Activities

Can formal tests with narrative components still be

used?

Portions of formal tests that elicit narratives should be scored while keeping the child’s first language

in mind. The Preschool Language Scales, 4th and 5th editions, include a narrative task in the expressive
language portion of the test. The administrator reads a story and requests a recount, tells a story
from a picture and requests a recount, and requests a spontaneous story from a picture. In each
situation, the examiner tallies narrative components that are indicative of narratives from mainstream

children. Poor performance, as determined by the standardized assessment, could result from
differences in cultural expectations and result in reduced scores. Examiners should consider cultural

variation in storytelling when evaluating the order and organization of a story. In addition to
providing merit for story components, the development of the characters and social/moral aspects
of their actions should receive attention as well.

How does typical narrative development differ from
narrative development in a child with language

impairment?

Children with language and learning impairments produce narratives with fewer different words,

fewer total words, more grammatical errors, less content, and poorer use of cohesive devices
(Swanson, Fey, Mills and Hood, 2005). Children with a history of language difficulties, even those
dismissed from special education services, continue to need support in creating narratives throughout

their academic career (Fey Catts, Proctor-Williams, Tomblin, and Zhang, 2004). The importance of
narrative development should not be understated. As Gillam and Pearson (2004) pointed out, poor
narrative abilities can affect intellectual, social, and academic development.

After a review of the research, intellectually it is easy to accept that an increase in narrative abilities
enriches the student’s message, improves classroom productivity, and shows the student the
difference between their habitual narrative and what is expected academically. By learning a bit about

culture and second-language needs, we see that it is obvious that different narrative styles exist
between cultures and that these differences should be accounted for in therapy and evaluation. The
question is, can we alter our evaluations and intervention to account for differences in narrative

ability? The answer is a resounding YES! Not only account for differences but employ our innate love
and use of storytelling to help children produce incredible language so that we can dismiss them from
special education services. In the next section, we will learn how to provide amazing literacy-based
intervention.

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