Assessment: Birth to Five Edward de Avila, Linguametrics Group Edward de Avila is President of De Avila, Duncan and Associates, specializing in language and cognition, assessment of intellectual and linguistic development, and school organization and management as it relates to child performance. He has served as a consultant to a variety of federal government departments, state governments, and private corporations. He also served as Senior Research Associate and Visiting Associate Professor at Stanford University, and Senior Research Psychologist at Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. De Avila has taught courses in developmental psychology and research methods; linguistic/intellectual development of language in minority students; program evaluation and test construction; instructional materials design; and technology in the school. Publications include books, chapters, and articles on such topics as cognitive development, the testing of minority students, language-minority children, bilingualism, educational testing, assessment, and curriculum development. De Avila has also developed cognitive tests, educational materials, and computer software related to linguistics. "Research has shown that the single strongest predictor of linguistic development, scientific understanding, reading skills, and math skills was the amount of time children spent talking and working together in a directed way. Head Start plays an important role of providing the models and the people to interact with." — Edward de Avila Presentation Highlights Language is not necessarily taught, but often learned through interactions and by example. This presentation focuses on the importance of understanding the impact of linguistic variation on assessment of phonemic awareness and language development. Assessment of Language Proficiency Language proficiency is necessary in order for school success because language is fundamentally tied to all aspects of children’s academic performance. However, due to the changing demographics of the population of the United States, linguistic variation must be viewed as a critical component of the assessment of children’s language proficiency. Although there are numerous reasons for engaging in assessment, and assessment methodologies may be designed to capture different information, the assessments of children’s language proficiency must strive to go beyond simply assessing words as language. This approach reflects only what a child has been exposed to and what experiences they have had, rather than predicting what a child is capable of achieving. Language in the Classroom Setting Phonemic control is a fundamental element of phonemic awareness and not all children come into classrooms having control of the same sound systems. Language establishes status in classrooms. The linguistic variation of children and their proficiency in the language of instruction can have a significant impact on the quality of their classroom experience and their probability for academic success in that setting. In fact, research has shown that students who speak the language of instruction are spoken to far more often than those who do not. Linguistic Variation and Development There are four key points regarding children’s linguistic variations and development that should be understood by all Head Start professionals: 1. All language is learned in context. To the extent that we can convert what we do to serve the child’s purposes and infuse that with the things we think are important, the children will learn language along the way. 2. Language is important for all. The importance of oral language proficiency applies to all children, not just those that are part of the language minority. 3. Language is learned by working together. Research has shown that the single strongest predictor of linguistic development, scientific understanding, reading skills, and math skills was the amount of time children spent talking and working together in a directed way. Head Start plays an important role of providing the models and the people to interact with. 4. Language is learned by example. Children will learn that which is important to adults; they will become interested in things they witness adults doing. Presentation Handout Print version of Edward de Avila's 1-page Handout Assessment Issues and Implications For Learning National Head Start Child Development Institute 1. Changing Demographics a. In 2000 b. By 2025 2. Language Variation in the US a. Numbers of languages and speakers represented in the US and Head Start populations b. Need for study of oral language development for all children 3. The Assessment of Oral Language Development a. Similarity of linguistic development b. Sounds/phonemics c. Words/vocabulary d. Grammar/syntax e. Usage/pragmatics 4. The Relationship Between Oral Language Development and Early Reading Skills a. Assessment of listening versus speaking b. Assessment of reading versus writing c. Relationship between literacy and oral development 5. Implications for the Future and Recent Findings From Early Childhood Longitudinal Study a. Numbers of limited and non-English speakers b. Variation in language development in the mainstream c. Year's growth 6. Importance of Oral Language Development For All Children a. Similar development reflects similar needs b. Role of Head Start in setting linguistic foundations c. Emphasis on standards and accountability Video of Presentation Presentation Highlights Presentation Handout List of Curriculum and Assessment presenters/presentations Information on how to view videos and view/download handouts

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