Phonological Screening Assessment

Reviewer Deb Pugh

Authors: Neil Stevens & Deborah Isles

Format: 2Opp booklet, 32 colour cards, 4 A4 laminated sheets for photocopying

ISBN: 0 86388 273 0

Price: £36.00 +VAT

The Phonological Screening Assessment was originally developed by two busy Speech and Language Therapists, as a fast method of obtaining a sample of speech sounds from children with limited concentration The colour cards are very clear and suitable for use with children and adults. The words selected are within the Rebus symbol collection (Widgit Software Ltd 1999) and in addition to the colour pictures, there are templates in black and white format which can be photocopied. The authors acknowledge the complete range of consonants and clusters are not included, as this is an initial screening tool.

The strength of the test is the flexibility in its application and brief suggestions are given in the booklet on ways to elicit the test items. The materials can be utilised to best suit the needs of the individual. It is particularly useful for children with Learning difficulties who are unable to cope with more in-depth assessments such as the South Tyneside Assessment of Phonology (STAP) (Armstrong and Ainley 1992). The black and white line drawings can be used for lotto games but it is a shame the colour cards are too big for these to be used in matching activities. The cluster production sheet contained too many pictures and the vocabulary used for the black and white templates seemed to be randomly selected. Of the children who were tested, all found the colour cards interesting and a sample of speech sounds was readily elicited. This test is recommended for use with adults and children with learning difficulties or those with poor attention skills.

Contents **** (Max 5*)

Readability ****

Value ****