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A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Pre-School Language Interventions--Building Early Sentences Therapy and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme

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Title: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Pre-School Language Interventions--Building Early Sentences Therapy and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme
Language: English
Authors: Cristina McKean (ORCID 0000-0001-9058-9813), Christine Jack (ORCID 0000-0002-6234-6205), Sean Pert (ORCID 0000-0003-4231-7156), Carolyn Letts (ORCID 0000-0002-0719-3752), Helen Stringer (ORCID 0000-0002-7470-2166), Mark Masidlover, Anastasia Trebacz (ORCID 0000-0002-0528-6082), Robert Rush (ORCID 0000-0001-9314-8925), Emily Armstrong, Kate Conn, Jenny Sandham, Elaine Ashton, Naomi Rose (ORCID 0000-0001-8127-1803)
Source: International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. 2025 60(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Randomized Controlled Trials, Program Effectiveness, Preschool Children, Child Language, Language Acquisition, Language Proficiency, Early Intervention, Language Skills, Speech Therapy, Outcomes of Treatment, Small Group Instruction, Expressive Language, Comprehension, Scores, Sentence Structure
DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.70036
ISSN: 1368-2822
1460-6984
Abstract: Background: Children's language abilities set the stage for their education, psychosocial development and life chances across the life course. Aims: To compare the efficacy of two preschool language interventions delivered with low dosages in early years settings (EYS): Building Early Sentences Therapy (BEST) and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme (A-DLS). The former is informed by usage-based linguistic theory, the latter by typical language developmental patterns. Methods: We conducted a pre-registered cluster randomized controlled trial in 20 EYS randomized to receive BEST or A-DLS. Children aged 3;05-4;05, who were monolingual, with comprehension and/or production scores [less than or equal to] 16th centile (New Reynell Developmental Language Scales--NRDLS) and no sensorineural hearing impairment, severe visual impairment or learning disability were eligible. A total of 102 children received the intervention. Speech and language therapists delivered interventions with high fidelity in 15-min group sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks. Baseline (T1), outcome (T2), and follow-up (T3) measures were completed blind to the intervention arm. Outcomes were NRDLS comprehension and production standard scores (SS), measures of language structures targeted in the interventions and communicative participation (FOCUS-34). Results: Both interventions were associated with significant change from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3 in all outcomes. There were no differences between interventions in gains in NRDLS comprehension SS at T2 or T3. BEST produced greater gains in NRDLS production SS between T1-T2 (d = 0.40) and T1-T3 (d = 0.55) and in BEST-targeted sentences (d = 0.77). Children receiving BEST made significantly more progress after intervention (T2-T3) in both comprehension and production. Both interventions were associated with large, clinically significant changes in communicative participation as measured by teacher reports (FOCUS-34). Conclusions: A low-dosage intervention can produce language gains with moderate to large effects. The accelerated progress after the BEST intervention underscores the significant potential of interventions designed with reference to usage-based theory, which precisely manipulates language exposure to promote the specific cognitive mechanisms hypothesized to promote language learning.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Language_Intervention_in_the_Early_Years_Randomized_Controlled_Trial/28270583
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1472368
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Pre-School Language Interventions--Building Early Sentences Therapy and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cristina+McKean%22">Cristina McKean</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9058-9813">0000-0001-9058-9813</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christine+Jack%22">Christine Jack</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6234-6205">0000-0002-6234-6205</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sean+Pert%22">Sean Pert</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4231-7156">0000-0003-4231-7156</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carolyn+Letts%22">Carolyn Letts</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0719-3752">0000-0002-0719-3752</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Helen+Stringer%22">Helen Stringer</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7470-2166">0000-0002-7470-2166</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mark+Masidlover%22">Mark Masidlover</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anastasia+Trebacz%22">Anastasia Trebacz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0528-6082">0000-0002-0528-6082</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Robert+Rush%22">Robert Rush</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9314-8925">0000-0001-9314-8925</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Emily+Armstrong%22">Emily Armstrong</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kate+Conn%22">Kate Conn</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jenny+Sandham%22">Jenny Sandham</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elaine+Ashton%22">Elaine Ashton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Naomi+Rose%22">Naomi Rose</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8127-1803">0000-0001-8127-1803</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Language+%26+Communication+Disorders%22"><i>International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders</i></searchLink>. 2025 60(3).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 14
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Randomized+Controlled+Trials%22">Randomized Controlled Trials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Language%22">Child Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Proficiency%22">Language Proficiency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Intervention%22">Early Intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Skills%22">Language Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+Therapy%22">Speech Therapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Treatment%22">Outcomes of Treatment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Small+Group+Instruction%22">Small Group Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expressive+Language%22">Expressive Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comprehension%22">Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sentence+Structure%22">Sentence Structure</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/1460-6984.70036
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1368-2822<br />1460-6984
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Children's language abilities set the stage for their education, psychosocial development and life chances across the life course. Aims: To compare the efficacy of two preschool language interventions delivered with low dosages in early years settings (EYS): Building Early Sentences Therapy (BEST) and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme (A-DLS). The former is informed by usage-based linguistic theory, the latter by typical language developmental patterns. Methods: We conducted a pre-registered cluster randomized controlled trial in 20 EYS randomized to receive BEST or A-DLS. Children aged 3;05-4;05, who were monolingual, with comprehension and/or production scores [less than or equal to] 16th centile (New Reynell Developmental Language Scales--NRDLS) and no sensorineural hearing impairment, severe visual impairment or learning disability were eligible. A total of 102 children received the intervention. Speech and language therapists delivered interventions with high fidelity in 15-min group sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks. Baseline (T1), outcome (T2), and follow-up (T3) measures were completed blind to the intervention arm. Outcomes were NRDLS comprehension and production standard scores (SS), measures of language structures targeted in the interventions and communicative participation (FOCUS-34). Results: Both interventions were associated with significant change from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3 in all outcomes. There were no differences between interventions in gains in NRDLS comprehension SS at T2 or T3. BEST produced greater gains in NRDLS production SS between T1-T2 (d = 0.40) and T1-T3 (d = 0.55) and in BEST-targeted sentences (d = 0.77). Children receiving BEST made significantly more progress after intervention (T2-T3) in both comprehension and production. Both interventions were associated with large, clinically significant changes in communicative participation as measured by teacher reports (FOCUS-34). Conclusions: A low-dosage intervention can produce language gains with moderate to large effects. The accelerated progress after the BEST intervention underscores the significant potential of interventions designed with reference to usage-based theory, which precisely manipulates language exposure to promote the specific cognitive mechanisms hypothesized to promote language learning.
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  Data: https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Language_Intervention_in_the_Early_Years_Randomized_Controlled_Trial/28270583
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  Data: 2025
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