Validity and reliability of the revised Arabic language test for 2–4-year-old children: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Language assessment in children using subjective and objective tests has been an issue to discuss. The aim of this study is to revise and prove the validity and reliability of the Arabic language test (ALT) for the age range from 2 to 4 years old. New design of the test format and test pictures was performed and tested on a pilot study of 30 normal children with no language problems, 15 in each 1 year age group, within the same age range of the standardization sample. The standardization sample on which the test was then applied was 400 normal Egyptian children in the age range from 2 to 4 years old 200 at 2–3 years old and 200 at 3–4 years old. Retesting was done on 30 children (15 in each group) to prove test-retest reliability, with an interval of 2 weeks. Validity of the test was done using, internal consistency validity, contrasted group validity, factorial validity, face validity, and judgment validity. In the contrasted group validity, a sample of 40 children with delayed language was used. Results All validity tests used gave significant scores that proved the high validity of the newly revised test. Also, reliability tests were highly significant. Conclusion The newly revised Arabic language test for 2–4 years old is a reliable and valid test to be used to evaluate language development and to detect language deficits among Egyptian children in the same age range.

Keywords

• Speech language pathology
• Speech language impairment
• Speech language assessment
• Validity
• Reliability
• Test battery