A Preliminary Investigation of Dynamic Assessment With Native American Kindergartners

PURPOSE: This study examined dynamic assessment as a lessbiased evaluation procedure for assessing the languagelearning ability of Native American children. METHOD: Twenty-three Arapahoe/Shoshone kindergartners were identified as stronger (n = 15) or weaker (n = 8) language learners through teacher report and examiner classroom observation. Through a test-teach-test protocol, participants were briefly taught the principles of categorization. Participant responses to learning were measured in terms of an index of modifiability and post-test categorization scores. The modifiability index, determined during the teaching phase, was a combined score reflecting the child's learning strategies, such as ability to attend, plan, and self-regulate, and the child's responses to the learning situation. Post-test scores consisted of performance on expressive and receptive subtests from a standardized categorization test after partialling out pretest score differences. Effect sizes and confidence intervals were also determined. RESULTS: Group and individual results indicated that modifiability and post-test scores were significantly greater for stronger than for weaker language learners. The response to modifiability components was a better discriminator than was the learner strategies components. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These results provide support for the further development of dynamic assessment as a valid measure of language learning ability in minority children.