Alternative Test: Repeating Twelve To Thirteen Syllables
The three sentences are:--
(a) "_The boy's name is John. He is a very good boy._"
(b) "_When the train passes you will hear the whistle blow._"
(c) "_We are going to have a good time in the country._"
PROCEDURE. Get the child's attention and say: "_Listen, say this: 'Where
is kitty?'_" After the child responds, add: "_Now say this ..._,"
reading the first sentence in a natural voice, d
stinctly and with
expression. If the child is too timid to respond, the first sentence may
be re-read, but in this case the response is not counted. _Re-reading is
permissible only with the first sentence._
SCORING. The test is passed if at least _one sentence is repeated
without error after a single reading_. As in the alternative test of
year III, we ignore ordinary indistinctness and defects of pronunciation
due to imperfect language development, but the sentence must be repeated
without addition, omission, or transposition of words.
REMARKS. Sentences of twelve syllables had not been standardized
previous to the Stanford revision, but Binet locates memory for ten
syllables at year V, and others have followed his example. Our own data
show that even 4-year-olds are usually able to repeat twelve syllables
with the procedure here set forth.