Linguistic and kinesthetic ability in preschool childen with a language impairment
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between linguistic and kinesthetic ability for children with and without speech and language impairments. The kinesthetic ability of children with speech and language impairments was of specific interest. The relationship between kinesthetic ability and learning was also examined. All subjects (18 males, 17 females) were enrolled in a Long Island Head Start program. Seventeen subjects had been found to display speech and language delays. Eighteen subjects had no identified impairments. The Torrance Test of Creativity in Action and Movement was used to measure one form of kinesthetic ability. It included three areas of creative movement: fluency, originality, and imagination. The Preschool Language Scale-3 was used to measure overall language ability. The manual expression subtest of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities was used as a measure of conceptual learning. There were no significant differences between male and female subjects on each aspect of kinesthetic ability. No significant relationships were revealed between linguistic and kinesthetic ability for all children with and without speech and language impairments. No significant relationships were revealed between kinesthetic ability and conceptual learning for children with and without speech and language impairments. There was a significant relationship demonstrated between one aspect of kinesthetic ability (imagination) and conceptual learning for all children. Last, there was no significant difference between children with and without speech and language impairments for kinesthetic ability. The results of this study suggested that creative movement was relatively independent from language ability. However, a specific aspect of creative movement, imagination, was related to concept knowledge for this specific population of preschool children. The results of this study suggested the need for educators to broaden their perspective of intelligence and how it is assessed. Children with speech and language delays would benefit from assessment tools and intervention strategies that include motor-based activities.
Subject Area
Developmental psychology|Special education|Cognitive therapy
Recommended Citation
Accardi, Denise Wendy, "Linguistic and kinesthetic ability in preschool childen with a language impairment" (1997). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9729597.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9729597
