Criterion Validity of the Early Communication Indicator for Infants and Toddlers

The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) is a progress monitoring measure designed to support intervention decisions of the home visitors and early educators who serve infants and toddlers. The present study sought to add to the criterion validity claims of the ECI in a large sample of children using...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAssessment for effective intervention Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 298 - 310
Main Authors Greenwood, Charles R., Buzhardt, Jay, Walker, Dale, Jia, Fan, Carta, Judith J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2020
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Age
Caseloads
Children
Communication
Communication Skills
Competence
Decision Making
Educational Legislation
Equal Education
Federal Legislation
Gestures
Head Start project
Individualized Family Service Plans
Infants
Language Skills
Measures (Individuals)
Preschool children
Progress Monitoring
Students with Disabilities
Toddlers
Total Communication
Visitors
progress monitoring
language
early childhood
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Summary:The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) is a progress monitoring measure designed to support intervention decisions of the home visitors and early educators who serve infants and toddlers. The present study sought to add to the criterion validity claims of the ECI in a large sample of children using measures of language and preliteracy not previously investigated. Early Head Start service providers administered and scored ECIs quarterly for infants and toddlers in their caseload as part of standard services. In addition, a battery of language and early literacy criterion tests were administered by researchers when children were 12, 24, 36, and 48 months of age. Analyses of this longitudinal data then examined concurrent and predictive correlational patterns. Results indicated that children grew in communicative proficiency with age, and weak to moderately strong patterns of relationship emerged that differed by ECI scale, age, and criterion measure. The strongest positive patterns of relationships were between Single Words and Multiple Words and the criterion at older ages. Gestures and Vocalizations established a pattern of negative relationships to the criterion measures. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
ISSN:1534-5084
1938-7458
DOI:10.1177/1534508418824154