Preliminary Content Validity and Reliability of a Newly Developed Malay Preschool Language Assessment Tool

Abstract

This article describes the development of the Malay Preschool Language Assessment Tool (MPLAT) designed to assess the language abilities of Malay preschool children between 4;0 to 6;11 years of age. The MPLAT is a prototype assessment tool that measures receptive, expressive use of language and early literacy skills. The rationale, construct validity, content validity, and early reliability evidence are presented. Potential items (217) were administered to 59 children and an item analysis was completed. Developmental analysis, test-retest and interexaminer reliability, and further content validity study was completed on another group of 42 children. The preliminary test-retest and interexaminer reliability coefficients were strong. Subtests and total test raw scores increased with age and all six subtests were correlated with each other and with test total. The MPLAT promises to be a valuable assessment tool for Malay children.