ERIC Number: EJ1124080
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Dec
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
Age-Related Progressions in Story Structure in Young Children's Narratives
Khan, Kiren S.; Gugiu, Mihaiela R.; Justice, Laura M.; Bowles, Ryan P.; Skibbe, Lori E.; Piasta, Shayne B.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v59 n6 p1395-1408 Dec 2016
Purpose: Prior theoretical and empirical work has referenced several broad stages of narrative development, particularly in terms of young children's understanding of story structure. However, there is considerable variation in how story structure has been defined and assessed across these studies. The aims of the present study were threefold: (a) to test the unidimensionality of items designed to assess story-structure knowledge, (b) to examine story-structure item difficulty levels, and (c) to examine age-related progressions on individual story-structure components across 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds. Method: Participants included 386 children (M = 4.8 years, SD = 11.67 months) from the Narrative Assessment Protocol study (http://www.narrativeassessment.com/), which was designed to revise a new narrative assessment tool for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Results: Factor analysis indicated that 16 of 21 items reflecting story-structure knowledge constituted a unidimensional construct. Individual story-structure item analyses further revealed that establishing subgoals and tracking the overall goals in the stories were particularly challenging for 3- and 4-year-olds. Conclusion: These findings hold implications for refinement of theoretical models of story-structure emergence in early childhood.
Descriptors: Young Children, Story Grammar, Story Telling, Narration, Item Analysis, Child Development, Age Differences, Difficulty Level, Emergent Literacy, Factor Analysis
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A110293