Developing a language screening scale that considers linguistic diversity in preschool children

Abstract

This paper delivers an extensive analysis of the techniques adopted in the creation of a new language assessment instrument, the Screening Scale of Language Development (SSLD), which has been standardized in Cyprus to identify language deviations in children before they enter primary school. The findings of this research highlight how the scale items, which were informed by recent studies on clinical indicators and prognostic factors of developmental language disorders, were crafted to eEectively represent the language varieties utilized by Greek Cypriot preschool children. Apart from addressing the gap in assessment tools that consider the linguistic diversity in Cyprus, the SSLD initiative aimed to establish a tool with strong psychometric foundations that allows professionals to confidently detect language diEiculties. The study also showcases the findings of the psychometric evaluation of the SSLD, which strongly endorses its structural validity, emphasizing its usefulness as a reliable instrument for evaluating language growth in Greek Cypriot children.