Clinical Trial: Accelerating Word Learning in Children With Language Impairment

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Interactive Book Reading to Accelerate Word Learning by Children With SLI

Brief Summary: This research attempts to adapt and optimize a word learning treatment, specifically interactive book reading, for use with Kindergarten children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Children with SLI have difficulty learning language without any obvious cause for this difficulty. Two treatment studies will be conducted to determine (1) the number of times children with SLI need to hear new words during book reading to learn the new words; (2) the best way to provide the target number of exposures to new words during book reading. For example, is it better to hear the new words many times within the book and to read the book few times, or is it better to hear the new words a few times within the book and to read the book many times. The investigators hypothesize that children with SLI will need to hear new words 2 to 3 times as often as children with normal language to learn the words and that reading the books many times will be more effective than repeating the words many times within a book.

Detailed Summary:

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) affects approximately 7.4% of Kindergarten children. Children with SLI are known to have difficulty learning new words, which places them at greater risk for future reading impairments and academic failure. Surprisingly, there are few interventions for word learning by children with SLI that have undergone rigorous efficacy and/or effectiveness testing. The goal of this research is to optimize an interactive book reading intervention that has proven to be successful in teaching vocabulary to other groups of Kindergarten children.

This preliminary clinical trial consists of two studies. The first study attempts to identify an adequate intensity of the interactive book reading treatment for children with SLI. Here, words are randomized to a treatment or no treatment (i.e., test only) condition and children are randomized to different intensities of the treatment. Specifically, children will hear the treated words either 12, 24, 36, or 48 times during treatment. The second study further tests the adequate intensity by comparing two versions of the treatment within the adequate intensity. Each child will receive two treatments at the identified adequate intensity. Children will be randomized to two treatments. One treatment will be balanced between the amount of times the new word is heard within the book and the amount of times the book is read. The second treatment will be more heavily weighted for either repetitions within the book or the amount of times the book is read. This study will examine how much children with different language skills benefit from the adequate intensity. In addition, this study will examine how best to achieve the adequate intensity. Specifically, is it better to hear the word more often in the session or to read the book more times or to have a balance of both? In the treatment condition, words are randomized to
Sponsor: University of Kansas

Current Primary Outcome: Change in definition score from pre- to post-treatment [ Time Frame: Pre- and Post-treatment with treatment lasting 10 to 38 sessions (approximately 5 to 19 weeks) ]

All new words will be presented. The child will be asked to provide a definition. Definitions will be scored as 0, 1, 2,or 3 points


Original Primary Outcome: Change in definition score from pre- to post-treatment [ Time Frame: Pre- and Post-treatment with treatment lasting 10 to 20 sessions (approximately 5 to 10 weeks) ]

All new words will be presented. The child will be asked to provide a definition. Definitions will be scored as 0-, 1-, or 2-points


Current Secondary Outcome: Change in naming from pre- to post-treatment [ Time Frame: Pre- and Post-treatment with treatment lasting 10 to 38 sessions (approximately 5 to 19 weeks) ]

A definition will be presented for each new word and the child will be asked to name the word that matches the definition. Naming responses will be scored as 0 or 1 point.


Original Secondary Outcome: Change in naming from pre- to post-treatment [ Time Frame: Pre- and Post-treatment with treatment lasting 10 to 20 sessions (approximately 5 to 10 weeks) ]

A definition will be presented for each new word and the child will be asked to name the word that matches the definition. Naming responses will be scored as 0-, 1-, or 2-points.


Information By: University of Kansas

Dates:
Date Received: March 12, 2013
Date Started: March 2013
Date Completion: September 2018
Last Updated: October 25, 2016
Last Verified: October 2016