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4. Understands essentially everything, spoken at a normal
rate, in school-related, social, or peer-group conversa
tion, except for certain idiomatic phrases or conventionalized
usage of the language. When responding, has some difficulty
with topic maintenance and may give some inappropriate
responses.
5. Understands everything in both the classroom and playgroup
speech which would usually be expected of the average
speakers of the same age. Demonstrates comprehension in
clear, appropriate expressions relevant to the topic.
Overall Communication Skill
1. Participates only minimally in school-related or peer-group
conversations. Speech is generally characterized by labored
production, incomplete sentences, and/or excessive number of
errors.
2. Gets gist of most school-related and peer-group conversations,
but unable to participate with facility in any but very
familiar, routine conversations. Speech is frequently
uneven, hesitant, and fragmented.
3. Understands and speaks the language adequately to participate
in most school-related and peer-group conversations. Speech
is characterized by occasional errors in granmar, some
groping for words, and at times, hesitancy and unevenness in
production.
4. Uses the language fluently and accurately, for the most part,
and is able to participate successfully in all school-related
and peer-group conversations. Speech, while smooth, effort
less, and generally without error, contains some sound qualities
and grammatical structures which suggest slight difficulties.
5. For all practical purposes, uses the language like the average
speaker of the same age. Speech in all school-related and
group conversations is smooth, effortless, and fluent.
Adapted from the work of:
Damico, J., Oiler, J., & Storey, M. The diagnosis of language dis
orders in bilingual children: Pragmatic and surface-oriented
criteria. In J. Erickson & D. Omark (Eds.), The bilingual ex
ceptional child. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1981.
Mace-Matluck, B. General characteristics of the children's language
use in three environments. Paper presented at the National Con
ference on Language Arts in the Elementary School, San Antonio,
Texas, March 1980.