Effects of Instructional Variables on Language Ability of Preschool Children

Abstract

The effects of instructional level, teacher’s knowledge of children’s ability, amount of teacher-initiated activity, and age on language ability were investigated. The subjects were 597 Head Start children ranging from 3 years to 6 years, 5 months. Instructional level and language ability were measured on the same scale using the two-parameter Item Response Model. This made it possible to compare directly the child’s ability level and the instructional level. The relationship between the instructional variables and language ability was examined by using multiple regression equations in a structural equation model. The results indicate that instructional level, accuracy of teacher’s knowledge of children’s skills, amount of teacher-initiated activity, and age have a direct effect on children’s language ability.