Effects of language background on measures of ability of children in their first year of school

Abstract

This report outlines the usefulness and appropriateness of three commonly used tests of ability for Preparatory level (Prep) children in Victoria, Australia, from non-English speaking backgrounds. Traditional school readiness and ability tests are dependent on knowledge of the English language, and thus may not be valid tools for assessing students with limited English proficiency. Tests that measure both verbal and nonverbal abilities were administered to 32 children, 14 from English speaking and 18 from non-English speaking backgrounds. Differences between the two groups of children are reported with a focus on interpretation in the context of effect of English language proficiency on performance. The results indicate that student performance on a variety of tests is constrained by English language knowledge, rather than by actual cognitive ability.

Keywords:

• Language effects
• measures of ability
• first year of school