Griffiths Sarah, Lucas Laura, Gooch Debbie, Norbury Courtenay Frazier
Psychology and Language Sciences University College London London UK.
School of Psychology University of Surrey Guildford UK.
JCPP Adv. 2024 Jul 23;5(2):e12264. doi: 10.1002/jcv2.12264. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Language ability predicts academic attainment across the curriculum. Teacher report of language difficulties may therefore help schools identify children that require Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision. Special Educational Needs provision is intended to enable children to reach their academic potential, however the effectiveness of this for children with language difficulties is unknown.
We linked teacher-ratings on a brief language difficulties questionnaire (13-item) collected in the first year of primary school ( = 7013), with data on SEN provision until age 12-13 and scores on statutory assessments at ages 5-6, 6-7 and 10-11 years from the National Pupil Database (UK). We conducted a preregistered analysis to (a) test the association between teacher-reported language difficulties and later academic outcomes, (b) identify predictors of subsequent SEN provision for monolingual children with language difficulties and (c) test whether SEN provision is associated with better academic outcomes for these children.
Teacher-reported language difficulties predicted achievement in phonics (s > 0.41), reading (s > 0.38), writing (s > 0.32) and maths (s > 0.40) assessments up to 7 years later. For those with language difficulties, having an existing diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental condition or sensory impairment was the strongest predictor of SEN registration ( [95% ] 8.33 [4.12, 19.24]) and special education placement ( [95% ] 18.89 [9.29, 42.01]) during primary school. However, 38% of children registered as having a primary speech, language and communication need, lost this registration during transition to secondary education. We could not estimate the effect of SEN provision on academic outcomes, as the majority of children with high propensity to receive SEN provision did receive provision, and very few children in SEN settings completed statutory assessments.
Teacher perceptions of language difficulties at school entry, in the presence of additional risk factors, should prompt SEN provision. Recognition and support for language difficulties should be sustained throughout children's education.
语言能力可预测整个课程体系中的学业成就。因此，教师对语言困难的报告可能有助于学校识别需要特殊教育需求（SEN）服务的儿童。特殊教育需求服务旨在使儿童发挥其学术潜力，然而，其对有语言困难儿童的有效性尚不清楚。
我们将小学一年级（n = 7013）收集的一份简短语言困难问卷（13项）上的教师评分，与来自英国国家学生数据库中直至12 - 13岁的特殊教育需求服务数据以及5 - 6岁、6 - 7岁和10 - 11岁法定评估的分数相联系。我们进行了一项预先注册的分析，以（a）测试教师报告的语言困难与后期学业成绩之间的关联，（b）确定有语言困难的单语儿童后续接受特殊教育需求服务的预测因素，以及（c）测试特殊教育需求服务是否与这些儿童更好的学业成绩相关。
教师报告的语言困难可预测长达7年后的语音（β > 0.41）、阅读（β > 0.38）、写作（β > 0.32）和数学（β > 0.40）评估成绩。对于有语言困难的儿童，已确诊患有神经发育疾病或感觉障碍是小学期间特殊教育需求登记（比值比[95%置信区间]8.33[4.12, 19.24]）和特殊教育安置（比值比[95%置信区间]18.89[9.29, 42.01]）的最强预测因素。然而，38%被登记为有主要言语、语言和沟通需求的儿童在过渡到中学教育期间失去了该登记。我们无法估计特殊教育需求服务对学业成绩的影响，因为大多数有高可能性接受特殊教育需求服务的儿童确实接受了服务，且在特殊教育环境中的儿童很少完成法定评估。
在存在其他风险因素的情况下，教师对入学时语言困难的认知应促使提供特殊教育需求服务。在儿童的整个教育过程中，都应持续关注并支持语言困难问题。
