Improved language checks for bilingual preschoolers
Reliability and Validity of Dynamic and Processing-based Assessments for Language in Diverse Bilingual School-age Children
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · NIH-11323544
This project will try two new kinds of language checks to tell which bilingual preschoolers are having trouble learning language itself versus those who simply haven't yet had much English exposure.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11323544 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would be asked to let your child, who speaks a non-English language at home, take part in short in-person language activities when they start English-based school. The team uses 'dynamic' tasks that include brief teaching during the test and 'processing' tasks that measure underlying skills that support language learning. Children will complete an experimental battery and standard measures so researchers can compare how well the new approaches work for diverse bilingual kids. The goal is to find tests that show a child's capacity to learn language rather than just current English knowledge.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are sequential bilingual children about 4 years, 10 months to 6 years, 2 months old who speak a non-English language at home and are entering English-based schooling.
Not a fit: Children who are monolingual, outside the study's age range, unable to attend in-person visits, or not entering English-based school are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these methods could reduce misdiagnosis and help bilingual children get the right language support earlier.
How similar studies have performed: Related dynamic-assessment and processing-based approaches have shown promise in identifying language learning difficulties but have limited validation in diverse non-Spanish bilingual groups.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: EBERT, KERRY DANAHY — UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- Study coordinator: EBERT, KERRY DANAHY
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.