Title Recognition Test for Kindergarteners (TRT-VS): Assessment of preconventional readers’ print exposure and its relations to precursors of reading

Studies have established a positive correlation between print exposure and language development in kindergarten children. Title recognition tests allow for an objective and efficient assessment of print exposure. Participants indicate whether selected book titles are known to them. To minimize guessing, the test also includes distractor items. We report the results of 2 validation studies of the Title Recognition Test for Kindergarteners (TRT-VS), including its psychometric properties. Study 1 investigates its reliability and item parameters in a sample of children and young adults. In Study 2, the TRT-VS showed moderate-to-strong correlations with phonological awareness and vocabulary in a sample of kindergarteners. In comparison, correlations between a home literacy environment questionnaire (HLE) and precursors of reading were substantially lower. The TRT-VS and the HLE were moderately correlated. In a structural equation model, the TRTVS fully mediated the influence of the HLE on precursors of reading, indicating that the title recognition by children not only measures the quantity of home reading activities, but also their effects on language development. Taken together, the results suggest that the TRT-VS is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of early reading activities, and the first instance of a title recognition test for preconventional readers that does not suffer from floor effects when completed by kindergarteners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Accession Number: 2017-46368-006. Translated Title: The Title Recognition Test for Kindergarteners (TRT-VS): Assessment of preconventional readers’ print exposure and its relations to precursors of reading. Partial author list: First Author & Affiliation: Grolig, Lorenz; Max-Planck-Institut fur Bildungsforschung, MPFG Reading Education and Development (ReaD), Berlin, Germany. Release Date: 20171127. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: German. Major Descriptor: Psychometrics; Reading; Reading Achievement; Test Reliability; Test Validity. Minor Descriptor: Learning. Classification: Educational Measurement (2227). Population: Human (10). Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs) (100); Preschool Age (2-5 yrs) (160). Tests & Measures: Title Recognition Test for Kindergarteners. Methodology: Empirical Study; Quantitative Study. Page Count: 11. Issue Publication Date: 2017. Copyright Statement: Hogrefe Verlag. 2017.