Exploring grammatical development in children aged 2;6 to 7: a novel approach using elicited production

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for the grammar analysis.

Age group	2;0–2;6	2;6–2;11	3;0–3;5	3;6–3;11	4;0–4;11	5;0–5;11	6;0–6;11
Number	N = 48	N = 50	N = 50	N = 50	N = 50	N = 50	N = 50
MLU in words
mean	2.62	3.14	3.65	4.16	4.28	5.01	4.85
SD	1.05	0.938	0.698	0.567	0.592	0.899	0.521
Proportion of complete utterances
mean	27.00%	45.70%	59.30%	72.80%	75.70%	86.10%	92.30%
SD	0.29	0.27	0.22	0.14	0.17	0.12	0.06
Summed Score A*
mean	7.23	8.88	20.7	22.4	21.8	22.4	23.1
SD	2.72	2.08	3.06	2.11	3.01	1.87	1.83
Summed Score B*
mean	5.31	3.86	8.26	5.86	5.62	2.82	2.08
SD	2.69	2.42	4.17	3.52	3.75	3.08	2.65

*Note that the maximum number of points for scores A and B differs for children over and under the age of three (A: max. 10/25 points, B: 11/24 points).

Figure 1. Boxplot of score a results.

Figure 2. Proportion of children producing main clauses with finite verbs in second position (Score A). Dashed line: 50% milestone, dotted line: 90% red flag.

Figure 3. Proportion of children producing main clauses with nonfinite/finite verbs in final position (Score B). Dashed line: 50% milestone, dotted line: 10% red flag.

Figure 4. Proportion of children producing correct subject-verb agreement correctly (Score A)/incorrectly (Score B). Dashed line: 50% milestone, dotted line: 90% resp.10% red flag.

Table 2. Scoring example of Anni, 4;1 years.

	MLU (w)	completeness	Score A	Score B
Raw Score	3.68	69%	21	10
T-value	38	43	43	37
Percentile	11	24	23	10

Figure 5. Proportion of children producing (Score A)/omitting (Score B) obligatory articles in noun phrases. Dashed line: 50% milestone, dotted line: 90% resp. 10% red flag.

Table

Subscale	Variable		Number of instances	Score	weight
Verbs	V1	Use of different main verbs	2	A	2
	V2	Subject-verb-agreement correct	2	A	2
	V3	Subject-verb-agreement incorrect	2	B	2
	V4	Omission of verb	2	B	2
Verb placement	VS1	Finite verb in second position of main clause	2	A	2
	VS2	Nonfinite verb in final position of main clause	2	B	2
	VS3	Finite verb in final position of main clause	2	B	1
Subject	S1	Subject realised	2	A	2
	S2	Omission of subject	2	B	2
Object	O1	Object realised	2	A	1
	O2	Omission of obligatory object	2	B	1
Articles	A1	Article used (independent of gender or case marking)	2	A	1
	A2	Omission of obligatory article	2	B	1

Table

Subscale	Variable		Number of instances	Score	weight
Sentence structures	S1	Main clauses	3	A	1
	S2	Subordinate clauses	3	A	1
Verbs	V1	Use of different main verbs	3	A	2
	V2	Auxiliary verbs	2	A	1
	V3	Modal verbs	2	A	1
	V4	Particle verb (particle separated from main verb)	2	A	1
	V5	Particle not separated from main verb	2	B	1
	V6	Subject-verb-agreement correct	2	A	2
	V7	Subject-verb-agreement incorrect	2	B	2
	V8	Past tense (completed action) expressed	2	A	1
	V9	Past tense (completed action) not expressed	2	B	1
	V10	Correct participle	2	A	1
	V11	Participle error	2	B	1
	V12	Omission of verb	2	B	2
Verb placement	VS1	Finite verb in second position of main clause	3	A	2
	VS2	Nonfinite verb in final position of main clause	2	B	2
	VS3	Finite verb in final position of main clause	2	B	2
	VS4	Finite verb in final position of subordinate clause	2	A	1
	VS5	Verb in second position in subordinate clause	2	B	1
	VS6	Other incorrect verb placement	1	B	1
Subject	NP-S1	Noun phrase as subject	3	A	1
	NP-S2	Personal pronoun as subject	3	A	1
	NP-S3	Omission of subject	2	B	2
Object	NP-O1	Noun phrase as object	3	A	1
	NP-O2	Personal pronoun as object	3	A	1
	NP-O3	Object realised as prepositional phrase instead of noun phrase	2	B	1
	NP-O4	Omission of obligatory object	2	B	2
Other constituents	W1	Adverbial realised	3	A	1
	W2	Attributive adjective realised	1	A	1
	W3	Preposition correctly realised	3	A	1
	W4	Preposition error or omission	3	B	1
	W5	Conjunction realised	2	A	1
	W6	Conjunction error or omission	2	B	1
Articles	A1	Article used (independent of gender or case marking)	3	A	1
	A2	Definite article + noun: gender correct	3	A	1
	A3	Indefinite article + noun: gender correct	3	A	1
	A4	Definite article + noun: gender incorrect	3	B	1
	A5	Indefinite article + noun: gender incorrect	3	B	1
	A6	Omission of obligatory article	3	B	2

Table

Score	Variable >3 y	Variable <3 y	Variable	Example for child’s utterance with literal translation	Correct target	Translation of target utterance
A	S1		Main clauses	Ein Junge nimmt eine Tasche A boy takes a bag		A boy is taking a bag
A	S2		Subordinate clauses	Wenn das Schwein alles aufisst When the pig everything eats		When the pig eats everything
A	V1	V1	different main verbs	Das Kind weint The child cries Der hat sein Schlüssel verloren He has his key lost		The child is crying He lost his key
A	V2		auxiliary verbs	Und die haben gesehen And they have seen.		And they have seen
A	V3		modal verbs	Die kann nicht das Auto aufmachen She can not the car open		She can’t open the car
A	V4		Particle verb (particle separated from main verb)	Der hebt das dann wieder auf He picks it then again up		Then he picks it up again
B	V5		Particle not separated from main verb	Der aufesst He upeats	Der isst auf	He eats up
A	V6	V2	Subject-verb agreement correct	Der braucht auch ein Krankenhaus He needs also a hospital		He also needs a hospital
B	V7	V3	Subject-verb agreement incorrect	Der nicht reiteninf He not ride	reitet	He doesn’t ride
A	V8		Past tense (completed action) expressed	Weil der Kofferraum offen war Because the trunk open was		Because the trunk was open
B	V9		Past tense (completed action) not expressed	Der ist auf ein Pferd reiteninf He is on a horse ride	Der ist auf ein(em) Pferd geritten	He was riding a horse
A	V10		Correct participle	geweint cried		cried
B	V11		Participle error	gefallt falled	gefallen	fell
B	V12	V4	omission of verb	Ein Schweinchen groß A piggy big	Ein Schweinchen ist groß	A (little) pig is big
A	VS 1	VS1	Finite verb in V2 in main clause	Der läuft über die Straße He walks across the road		He walks across the road
B	VS 2	VS2	Nonfinite verb in VF in main clause	Ein Schwein Blatt essen A pig leave eat	Ein Schwein isst (ein) Blatt	A pig is eating a leaf
B	VS3	VS3	finite verb in VF in main clause	Junge in Schule kommt Boy in school comes	(Der) Junge kommt in (die) Schule	The boy is coming to school
A	VS4		VF in subordinate clause	wenn man bei der Oma ist when one at the grandma is		When you are at grandma’s
B	VS5		V2 in subordinate clause	dass sie liebt Süßigkeiten that she loves sweets	dass sie Süßigkeiten liebt	That she loves sweets
B	VS6		other incorrect verb placement	Geht sie da rauf auf die Wiese Goes she there up on the meadow	Sie geht da rauf auf die Wiese	She is going up there to the meadow
A	NP-S1	NP-S1	Noun phrase as subject	Die Kinder gehen schnell rein The children go quickly inside		The children are going inside quickly
A	NP-S2		Personal pronoun as subject	Er schützt sich vor dem Regen He protects himself from the rain		He protects himself from the rain
B	NP-S3	NP-S2	Omission of subject	Essen Möhren Eat carrots	Sie essen Möhren	They are eating carrots
A	NP-O1	NP-O1	Noun phrase as object	Der verliert seinen Schlüssel He loses his key.		He loses his key
A	NP-O2		Personal pronoun as object	Die Schwester hilft ihm einfach The sister helps him just		The sister just helps him
B	NP-O3		Object realised as prepositional phrase instead of noun phrase	Weil er hat von dem Spiel verloren Because he has from the game lost	Weil er das Spiel verloren hat	Because he lost the game
B	NP-O4	NP-O2	Omission of obligatory object	Weil der mag Because he likes	Weil der Süßigkeiten mag	Because he likes sweets
A	W1		Adverbial realised	Es regnen heute viel It rain today a lot		Today it’s raining a lot
A	W2		Attributive adjective realised	Die Oma schenkt ihnen einen neuen Teddy Grandma gives them a new teddy		Grandma gives them a new teddy bear
A	W3		Preposition correctly realised	Die raufen sich um den Ball They fight for the ball		They are fighting for the ball
B	W4		Preposition error or omission	Die geht nach Auto She goes after car	Die geht zum Auto	She is going to the car
A	W5		Conjunction realised	Damit die die essen kann So that she them eat can		So that she can eat them
B	W6		Conjunction error or omission	Wegen es regnet Due to it rains	Weil es regnet.	because it’s raining
A	A1	A1	Article used (regardless of gender or case marking)	Wieder das Schwein Again theneut pig		Again, the pig
A	A2		Definite article + noun: gender correct	Das Schwein Theneut pig		Theneut pig
A	A3		Indefinite article + noun: gender correct	Eine Maus Afem mouse		Afem mouse
B	A4		Definite article + noun: gender incorrect	Der Mädchen Themask girl	Das Mädchen	Theneut girl
B	A5		Indefinite article + noun: gender incorrect	Eine Teddybär Afem teddy bear	Ein Teddybär	Amask/neut teddy bear
B	A6	A2	Omission of obligatory article	Pferd ist groß Horse is big	Das Pferd ist groß	Theneut horse is big

Table

	2;0–2;6	2;6–2;11	3;0–3;5	3;6–3;11	4;0–4;11	5;0–5;11	6;0–6;11
2;0–2;6	−	−0.519*	−1.027***	−1.545***	−1.657***	−2.391***	−2.235***
2;6–2;11		−	−0.508*	−1.026***	−1.138***	−1.872***	−1.716***
3;0–3;5			−	−0.518*	−0.630**	−1.364***	−1.208***
3;6–3;11				−	−0.112	−0.846***	−0.690***
4;0–4;11					−	−0.734***	−0.578**
5;0–5;11						−	0.156
6;0–6;11							−

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Table

	2;0–2;6	2;6–2;11	3;0–3;5	3;6–3;11	4;0–4;11	5;0–5;11	6;0–6;11
2;0–2;6	−	−0.187***	−0.323***	−0.458***	−0.4868***	−0.590***	−0.6530***
2;6–2;11		−	−0.136*	−0.271***	−0.2996***	−0.403***	−0.4658***
3;0–3;5			−	−0.135*	−0.1638***	−0.267***	−0.3300***
3;6–3;11				−	−0.0286	−0.132*	−0.1948***
4;0–4;11					−	−0.104	−0.1662***
5;0–5;11						−	−0.0626***
6;0–6;11							−

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Table

	3;0–3;5	3;6–3;11	4;0–4;11	5;0–5;11	6;0–6;11
3;0–3;5	−	−1.68**	−1.080	−1.7000**	−2.380***
3;6–3;11		−	0.600	−0.0200	−0.700
4;0–4;11			−	−0.6200	−1.300
5;0–5;11				−	−0.680
6;0–6;11					−

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Table

	3;0–3;5	3;6–3;11	4;0–4;11	5;0–5;11	6;0–6;11
3;0–3;5	−	2.40**	2.640**	5.44***	6.18***
3;6–3;11		−	0.240	3.04***	3.78***
4;0–4;11			−	2.80***	3.54***
5;0–5;11				−	0.740
6;0–6;11					−

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.