Measuring the vocabulary of school-aged and pre-school children - a literature review

Abstract

A large body of research shows that family background has a significant impact on the vocabulary of children starting school. Pupils with a poorer and weaker vocabulary find it more difficult to learn to read, which can lead to a backlog in their later studies (Cs. Czachesz, 2014; Horváth, 2016; Juhász & Radics, 2018; Neuberger, 2014; Perfetti & Stafura, 2014). It is therefore important to diagnose pupils with a poorer vocabulary, identify the causes of this backlog and develop them in a targeted way. The aim of our research is to map the vocabulary tests available in our country for those children, who enter school or are in the school, and which methods are primarily used. Our research was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 14 vocabulary tests used in our country were identified as a result of a systematic literature review. The tests most commonly measure the knowledge of nouns, verbs and adjectives. In the sample identified, seven tests were identified to measure both expressive and receptive vocabulary, eight to eight measures using visual and verbal methods respectively. Unfortunately, the majority of tests are only approved for use by special educators and psychologists, but it is important that teachers are aware of them and have access to diagnostic measures that can be used in the classroom environment to reliably identify children with poorer vocabulary and thus help them to targeted development.