Outcomes of Children
MACARTHUR
MacArthur Communication Development Inventory
The MacArthur CDIs are two parent questionnaires about their child’s play, communication and language development. They aim to gather reliable information about the course of a child’s language development and the early signs of comprehension and non-verbal gestures to expansion of grammar. There are two forms of the MacArthur being used in the Outcomes project. The MacArthur Words and Gestures form is being used with all children between 8mths and 18mths at the time of their assessment. The MacArthur Words and Sentences form is being used with all children between 19mths and 36mths at the time of their assessment.
The Macarthur forms are designed to systematically tap into parents’ and caregiver’s knowledge of their child’s play, communication and language skills. Work on what would become the MacArthur CDIs began in the USA in the 1970s and 1980 and has resulted in the MacArthur II which we are using today.
There are three main ways of assessing a child’s language development – structured assessments, language sampling and parent report. The MacArthur forms represent the assessment using parent report and are important in gaining a balanced understanding of a child’s development. This parent report aspect is especially important as parents and caregivers have the most interaction with their own children and often have the best understanding of their development.
Words and Gestures
The words and gestures form has two parts. Parents of very young children find the first part of the Words and Gestures form easy because they have very little vocabulary. However, it is important that you complete the second part even if you have very little to say in the first part because very young children may display some of the target behaviours.
Part I: Early Words
A |
First Signs of Understanding |
3 items about early understanding of familiar words and phrases |
B |
Phrases |
There are 28 phrases that relate to everyday child routines |
C |
Starting to Talk |
2 items relating to imitation and labelling behaviours |
D |
Vocabulary Checklist |
This section contains 396 words grouped into 19 categories. There are two columns in this section for each word – ‘Understands’ (comprehension) and ‘Understands and Says’ (expression). Some vocabulary is American (e.g. ‘diaper’) and Australian equivalents (e.g. ‘nappy’) can be used. |
Part II Actions and Gestures
A |
First Communicative Gestures |
This looks at 12 different gestures that young children use to communicate with the people around them and are precursor to language development (intentional communication). For example, waves bye-bye. |
B |
Games and Routines |
This looks at 6 social games and routines that young children engage in with other people. These activities are the basis for the social interaction on which language development builds. For example, plays peek-a-boo. |
C |
Actions and Objects |
This looks at 17 actions that young children begin to perform with objects. This shows a child’s emerging understanding of the world that can be manipulated For example, throwing a ball. |
D |
Pretending to be a Parent |
This looks at 13 actions that are the beginnings of a child’s true symbolic play behaviours. For example, covering a toy with a blanket. |
E |
Imitating Other Adult Actions |
This section also looks at play but this time with the child imitation the actions of adults – representational play. For example, ‘typing’ on a keyboard. |
Words and Sentences
While the first part of this MacArthur looks at vocabulary development and word use, the second part looks at the development of morphology (units of meaning and grammatical word endings) and syntax (grammatically correct word combinations). Again, it is important to complete both parts.
Part I: Words Children Use
A |
Vocabulary Checklist |
The vocabulary checklist in the Words and Sentences form is similar to that on the Words and Gestures but has 680 words grouped into 22 semantic categories. Unlike the Words and Gestures form, this vocabulary checklist looks only at children’s use if words, not their understanding of words. Again, Australian-English words can replace American-English words (e.g. ‘chips’ for ‘french fries’) |
B |
How Children Use Words |
This section looks at children’s developing ability to separate language from the objects and actions immediately surrounding them. For example, being able to talk about things that will happen in the future. |
Part II Sentences and Grammar
A |
Word Endings – Part 1 |
This section looks at whether children are starting to use word endings such as ‘-s’, ‘’s’, ‘-ing’ and ‘-ed’. |
B |
Word Forms |
|
C |
Word Endings – Part 2 |
This section looks at word endings in more depth than in part A. It looks at the kinds of mistakes that children typically make with word endings, such as ‘mices’. Such errors are a sign of language development. |
D |
Mean Length of Utterance |
‘Mean Length of Utterance’ (MLU) is a more accurate way of measuring language development than counting how many words your child produces in a sentence. It counts the units of meaning in your child’s phrases/sentences. For example “He jumped” contains only two words but three units of meaning (he + jump + ed). By recording three of your child’s phrases/sentences in this section you allow us to make MLU calculations. |
E |
Complexity |
The complexity section relates closely to MLU. It provides you with a choice of which production of a sentence your child would make. For example, ‘more cookie!’ or ‘more cookies!’ – the simpler sentence has two units of meaning, while the more complex sentence has 3. |
www.outcomes.nal.gov.au