title: Synthesizing Information From Language Samples and Standardized Tests in School-Age Bilingual Assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although language samples and standardized tests are regularly used in assessment, few studies provide clinical guidance on how to synthesize information from these testing tools. This study extends previous work on the relations between tests and language samples to a new population-school-age bilingual speakers with primary language impairment-and considers the clinical implications for bilingual assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one bilingual children with primary language impairment completed narrative language samples and standardized language tests in English and Spanish. Children were separated into younger (ages 5;6 [years;months]-8;11) and older (ages 9;0-11;2) groups. Analysis included correlations with age and partial correlations between language sample measures and test scores in each language.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the younger group, positive correlations with large effect sizes indicated convergence between test scores and microstructural language sample measures in both Spanish and English. There were minimal correlations in the older group for either language. Age related to English but not Spanish measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tests and language samples complement each other in assessment. Wordless picture-book narratives may be more appropriate for ages 5-8 than for older children. We discuss clinical implications, including a case example of a bilingual child with primary language impairment, to illustrate how to synthesize information from these tools in assessment.
authors.affiliation: Rush University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Kerry Danahy
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, CA.
authors.forename: Giang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pham
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D033262:Narration