Download PDF
Semin Speech Lang 2022; 43(05): 406-425
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756645
Data-based Research Articles

Expository Discourse Production in School-Age Children across Two Scaffolded Tasks

Anna M. Guilkey
1   Dr. Jim D. Rollins School of Innovation, Springdale, Arkansas
,
Stacy A. Wagovich
2   College of Health Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

School-age children encounter expository discourse daily in the classroom, and skilled understanding and production of expository language is critical for academic success. The purpose of this study was to compare children's production of two types of expository discourse, generation and retell, while employing a scaffolded note-taking procedure to assist children in developing their samples. Twenty-six typically developing children, 9 to 12 years of age, participated in the study. For the expository generation task, children gave an explanation of a favorite activity, and for the retell task they viewed a video and provided an explanation of the information in the video. Overall, expository generation samples were longer and richer in content, but expository retell samples demonstrated greater lexical diversity. In addition, generation samples contained fewer grammatical errors than retell samples (trend), but measures of syntactic complexity, which were positively related across tasks, were not significantly different between sample types. Findings suggest that using a scaffolded procedure for supporting expository production resulted in (1) samples that were long enough for valid analysis of the children's language and (2) the production of utterances that, on average, were longer than reported in similar studies without scaffolding. The potential impact of comprehension on retell task performance is discussed.

Keywords

expository - discourse - language - school-age


Publication History

Article published online:
26 October 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • References

  • 1 Lundine JP, McCauley RJ. A tutorial on expository discourse: structure, development, and disorders in children and adolescents. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2016; 25 (03) 306-320
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Lundine JP. Assessing expository discourse abilities across elementary, middle, and high school. Top Lang Disord 2020; 40 (02) 149-165
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Koutsoftas AD, Gray S. Comparison of narrative and expository writing in students with and without language-learning disabilities. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2012; 43 (04) 395-409
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Ward-Lonergan JM. Supporting literacy development in adolescents through written language intervention. Perspect Lang Learn Educ 2010; 17 (03) 85-92
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Nippold MA, Hesketh LJ, Duthie JK, Mansfield TC. Conversational versus expository discourse: a study of syntactic development in children, adolescents, and adults. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2005; 48 (05) 1048-1064
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Scott CM, Windsor J. General language performance measures in spoken and written narrative and expository discourse of school-age children with language learning disabilities. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2000; 43 (02) 324-339
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Nippold MA, Mansfield TC, Billow JL, Tomblin JB. Expository discourse in adolescents with language impairments: examining syntactic development. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2008; 17 (04) 356-366
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Lundine JP, Harnish SM, McCauley RJ. et al. Adolescent summaries of narrative and expository discourse: differences and predictors. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2018; 49 (03) 551-568
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Scott CM, Stokes SL. Measures of syntax in school-age children and adolescents. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 1995; 26 (04) 309-319
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Heilmann J, Malone TO. The rules of the game: properties of a database of expository language samples. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2014; 45 (04) 277-290
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Westerveld MF, Moran CA. Spoken expository discourse of children and adolescents: retelling versus generation. Clin Linguist Phon 2013; 27 (09) 720-734
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Ward-Lonergan JM, Liles BZ, Anderson AM. Verbal retelling abilities in adolescents with and without language-learning disabilities for social studies lectures. J Learn Disabil 1999; 32 (03) 213-223
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Nippold MA, Mansfield TC, Billow JL. Peer conflict explanations in children, adolescents, and adults: examining the development of complex syntax. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2007; 16 (02) 179-188
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Nippold MA, Mansfield TC, Billow JL, Tomblin JB. Syntactic development in adolescents with a history of language impairments: a follow-up investigation. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2009; 18 (03) 241-251
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Hunt KW. Grammatical Structures Written at Three Grade Levels. National Council of Teachers of English; 1965
    Google Scholar
  • 16 Covington MA, McFall JD. Cutting the Gordian knot: the moving-average type-token ratio (MATTR). J Quant Linguist 2010; 17 (02) 94-100
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Miller JF, Andriacchi K, Nockerts A. Assessing Language Production Using SALT Software: A Clinician's Guide to Language Sample Analysis. SALT Software, LLC. 2011
    Google Scholar
  • 18 Koonce NM. When it comes to explaining: a preliminary investigation of the expository language skills of African American school-age children. Top Lang Disord 2015; 35 (01) 76-89
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Nippold MA, Ward-Lonergan JM, Fanning JL. Persuasive writing in children, adolescents, and adults: a study of syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic development. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2005; 36 (02) 125-138
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Westerveld MF, Moran CA. Expository language skills of young school-age children. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2011; 42 (02) 182-193
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Boyle JR, Rivera TZ. Note-taking techniques for students with disabilities: a systematic review of the research. Learn Disabil Q 2012; 35 (03) 131-143
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Kobayashi K. Combined effects of note-taking/-reviewing on learning and the enhancement through interventions: a meta-analytic review. Educ Psychol 2006; 26 (03) 459-477
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Ukrainetz TA. Sketch and speak: an expository intervention using note-taking and oral practice for children with language-related learning disabilities. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2019; 50 (01) 53-70
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Hollingshead AB. Four Factor Index of Social Status. [unpublished working paper]. Yale University, New Haven, CT. 1975 [Published online 1975]
    Google Scholar
  • 25 Wiig EH, Semel E, Secord WA. Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fifth Edition (CELF-5). Psychcorp. 2013
    Google Scholar
  • 26 Dunn LM, Dunn DM. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition (PPVT-4). Psychcorp. 2007
    Google Scholar
  • 27 Williams KT. Expressive Vocabulary Test, Second Edition (EVT-2). Pearson Assessments. 2007
    Google Scholar
  • 28 Brown L, Sherbenou RJ, Johnsen SK. Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Fourth Edition (TONI-4). PRO-ED. 2010
    Google Scholar
  • 29 MacWhinney B. The CHILDES Project: Tools for Analyzing Talk: Volume I: Transcription Format and Programs, Volume II: The Database. Psychology Press; 2000
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Nelson NW. The context of discourse difficulty in classroom and clinic. Top Lang Disord 2005; 25 (04) 322-331
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Beck IL, McKeown MG, Kucan L. Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples. Vol 10. Guilford Press; 2008
    Google Scholar
  • 32 Crystal D. Towards a “bucket” theory of language disability: taking account of interaction between linguistic levels. Clin Linguist Phon 1987; 1 (01) 7-22
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Wagovich SA, Hall NE, Clifford BA. Speech disruptions in relation to language growth in children who stutter: an exploratory study. J Fluency Disord 2009; 34 (04) 242-256
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Snyder L, Caccamise D. Comprehension processes for expository text: building meaning and making sense. In: Nippold M, Scott C. eds. Expository Discourse in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: Development and Disorders. Psychology Press; 2010: 13-39
    Google Scholar