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Improving language comprehension in preschool children with language difficulties: a cluster randomized trial
Author(s) -
Hagen Åste M.,
MelbyLervåg Monica,
Lervåg Arne
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.12762
Subject(s) - comprehension , psychology , randomized controlled trial , intervention (counseling) , psychological intervention , language development , developmental psychology , cluster randomised controlled trial , clinical psychology , medicine , linguistics , psychiatry , philosophy , surgery
Background Children with language comprehension difficulties are at risk of educational and social problems, which in turn impede employment prospects in adulthood. However, few randomized trials have examined how such problems can be ameliorated during the preschool years. Methods We conducted a cluster randomized trial in 148 preschool classrooms. Our intervention targeted language comprehension skills and lasted 1 year and 1 month, with five blocks of 6 weeks and intervention three times per week (about 75 min per week). Effects were assessed on a range of measures of language performance. Results Immediately after the intervention, there were moderate effects on both near, intermediate and distal measures of language performance. At delayed follow‐up (7 months after the intervention), these reliable effects remained for the distal measures. Conclusions It is possible to intervene in classroom settings to improve the language comprehension skills of children with language difficulties. However, it appears that such interventions need to be intensive and prolonged.