The Validity of Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Measures with Spanish-Speaking Kindergarteners Learning English

Research examined construct meaning and validity for two new measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary for Spanish-speaking kindergarteners learning English. Substantive validity and generalizability of score meaning was assessed by examining correlations between an established measure (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-PPVT) and new measures (Stanford English Language Proficiency Test-SELP; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Word Use Fluency, DIBELS-WUF). Positive correlations between the SELP and PPVT supported validity of the SELP as a measure of receptive and expressive vocabulary for these children. DIBELS-WUF results were less clear with lower correlations between the PPVT raising questions about appropriateness.