Julie Dockrell
Biographic Data
| ID | 2748986 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Julie Dockrell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Julie |
| FAMILY NAME | Dockrell |
| SIGNATURE | DOCKRELL J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3595-6064 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 25 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 28 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1990 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Language Variations in Standardised Assessments: Evidence From Indonesia
Assessment of young children’s language skills is essential for monitoring development and informing early intervention. However, widely used assessment instruments are often developed for monolingual English-speaking contexts and may not align with children’s linguistic environments in multilingual settings. This feasibility study examined the adaptation of the Bayley-4 Language Scale (Bayley & Aylward, 2019) for Indonesian–Sasak toddlers using …
Raising educational outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome: Findings from a larger systematic review of targeted interventions for individuals with Send
No previous systematic reviews have focused on which targeted interventions successfully raise educational outcomes (i.e. reading, writing, mathematics, science and general attainment outcomes) for students with Down syndrome. This study reports on the findings from a larger pre‐registered systematic review of targeted interventions for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Here, we examined studies that have used a ran…
Topic maintenance in social conversation: What children need to learn and evidence this can be taught
Individual differences in children’s social communication have been shown to mediate the relationship between poor vocabulary or grammar and behavioural difficulties. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that social communication skills predict difficulties with peers over and above vocabulary and grammar scores. The essential social communicative skills needed to maintain positive peer relationships revolve around conversation. Children with w…
Towards an evidence-based approach to fostering collaborative conversation in mainstream primary classrooms: Response to commentators
The ability to engage with ease in collaborative conversation is critical for child well-being and development. While key underpinning skills are biologically enabled, children require appropriate scaffolding and practice opportunities to develop proficient social conversational ability. Teaching conversation skills is a statutory requirement of the English primary (and many other) curricula. However, currently most upper primary mainstream teach…
Oral language at school entry: Dimensionality of speaking and listening skills
There has been a resurgence in concern about the levels of pupils’ oral language skills at school entry. To support and develop these skills effectively an understanding of the key components of oral language is required. We examined the oral language skills of monolingual children in Reception (MAge = 57.9 months; n = 126) and Year 1 (MAge = 69.07; n = 124) classes in England. Children were recruited from schools that were representative of Lond…
Teaching and learning in a multilingual Europe: Findings from a cross-European study
School classrooms within the EU are multilingual learning environments. The diversity of pupils in classrooms raises significant challenges for teachers, but to date, there are no data from large-scale surveys that compare views within and across European countries. A bespoke questionnaire was designed to examine views of current classroom learning environments with respect to the multilingualism. The questionnaire was piloted and subsequently co…
Examining the psychometric properties of the ELLECCT: A commentary on Weadman, Serry and Snow (2022)
Domain-specific observational tools that use valid and objectively measurable items are key to supporting improvement and developing understanding of practice in early years classrooms. The ‘Emergent Literacy and Language Early Childhood Checklist for Teachers’ (ELLECCT) aims to address a current gap in the tools that are available to capture behaviours which support language and literacy during book reading activities. We examine the ELLECCT’s u…
Universal strategies for the improvement of expressive language skills in the primary classroom: A systematic review
Oral language skills underpin children’s educational success and enhance positive life outcomes. Yet, significant numbers of children struggle to develop competence in speaking and listening, especially those from areas of high economic deprivation. A tiered intervention model, graduating the level of provision in line with levels of need, has been posited as most appropriate for supporting children’s language development. The first tier, or univ…
Measuring early child development across low and middle-income countries: A systematic review
The Sustainable Development Goals mandate that by 2030, all children should have access to quality early child development opportunities, healthcare and pre-primary education. Yet validated measures of ECD in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are rare. To address this gap, a Systematic Review (SR) of measures available to profile the development of children between the ages of 0–5 years in LMICs was undertaken. Drawing on education, psychol…
Warnock 40 Years on: The Development of Special Educational Needs Since the Warnock Report and Implications for the Future
The report of the Warnock Committee ‘Special Educational Needs, published in 1978, provided the first comprehensive review of special educational needs (SEN) in England and the basis for subsequent legislation, from the Education Act 1981 to the recent Children and Families Act 2014. The Warnock Report has been highly influential with respect to the development of both national and local policy and practice for SEN, primarily in England but also …
Emotional Competence Mediates the Relationship between Communication Problems and Reactive Externalizing Problems in Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder: A Longitudinal Study
Language problems are a risk factor for externalizing problems, but the developmental path remains unclear. Emotional competence may mediate the relationship, especially when externalizing problems are reactive in nature, such as in Oppositional Deviant Disorder (ODD) and reactive aggression. We examined the development of reactive and proactive externalizing problems in children with ( n = 98) and without ( n = 156) Developmental Language Disord…
Conceções dos professores portugueses sobre multilinguismo e práticas educativas em salas de aula multilingues
A Europa é uma realidade linguística diversa e heterogénea que enfrenta o desafio de educar uma população cada vez mais multicultural e multilingue. Os professores de língua(s) são atores nesta realidade, promovendo o multilinguismo e integrando a diversidade. Portugal não foge ao paradigma do multilinguismo e as escolas e professores portugueses vão-se adaptando a uma realidade que, não sendo nova, tem novos contornos. Neste artigo, analisam-se …
Interrelation between empathy and friendship development during (pre)adolescence and the moderating effect of developmental language disorder: A longitudinal study
The association between empathy and friendship quality in children and adolescents is well established, but longitudinal studies are lacking. Because social interactions typically involve language, these relations might be moderated by children's communication problems. The current study examined the interrelation of friendship quality (positive and negative) and empathy (affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) development of 317 children…
Assessing children's writing products: The role of curriculum based measures
The assessment of children's writing raises technical and practical challenges. In this paper we examine the potential use of a curriculum based measure for writing ( CBM ‐W) to assess the written texts of pupils in Key Stage 2 (M age 107 months, range 88 to 125). Two hundred and thirty six Year three, five and six pupils completed a standardized assessment of writing quality. Pupils also responded to two writing probes, one expository and one na…
Investigating affordance of opportunity for young children’s language interactions in a nursery setting: How can small group talk act as a forum for language learning
The importance of research on the unique nature of the communication supporting environment in nurseries has been heightened by growing evidence of the significance of early language skills for later academic and social development. This study focussed on children’s language use during small group times. Opportunities to hear and practise language were examined to uncover variation in conversational experiences for children with differing languag…
Children with word finding difficulties: Continuities and profiles of abilities
Word finding difficulties (WFDs) occur in more than a quarter of children who are receiving speech and language therapy. This study provides the first investigation of the continuity in WFDs and investigates whether WFDs are associated with phonological or semantically related abilities. Thirty-eight children with WFDs were seen at age 7;0 and at 9;8. Standardized assessments of word finding, language and literacy were administered. The children’…
Supporting early oral language skills for English language learners in inner city preschool provision
Background. A significant number of children now enter formal education in England with reduced levels of proficiency in oral language. Children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and who are English language learners (ELL) are at risk of limited oral language skills in English which impacts on later educational achievement. Aims. This paper reports the development of a theoretically motivated oral language intervention, Talking Time , desig…
Morphosyntax in children with word finding difficulties
Children with word finding difficulties (CwWFDs) are slower and less accurate at naming monomorphemic words than typically developing children (Dockrell, Messer & George, 2001), but their difficulty in naming morphologically complex words has not yet been investigated. One aim of this paper was to identify whether CwWFDs are similar to typically developing children at producing inflected (morphologically complex) words. A second aim was to invest…
Acoustical barriers in classrooms: The impact of noise on performance in the classroom
There is general concern about the levels of noise that children are exposed to in classroom situations. The article reports the results of a study that explores the effects of typical classroom noise on the performance of primary school children on a series of literacy and speed tasks. One hundred and fifty‐eight children in six Year 3 classes participated in the study. Classes were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Two noise c…
Motivational interviewing for HIV risk reduction among gay men in commercial and public sex settings
The present paper addresses the feasibility of combining motivational interviewing and cognitive interventions to HIV risk reduction in commercial venues and public sex environments (PSEs). The logic for these two approaches is considered and an intervention combining key elements of the two is presented. The intervention uses a questionnaire format to encourage individuals to compare their desired versus actual behaviour (i.e. chosen personal ri…
The behaviour and self-esteem of children with specific speech and language difficulties
Background. Children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) may have associated difficulties that impair their access to the curriculum, and their social relationships at home and in school. Aims. (i) To identify the range of additional problems experienced by children with SSLD in different educational contexts; (ii) to consider the relationship between these problems and the child's current language status and (iii) to consider t…
Why is colour naming difficult
A suggestion exists in the child language literature that the meanings of natural kind terms are acquired before the meanings of colour terms. Explanations have typically claimed that object terms are more salient than property terms. Such explanations, however, tend to ignore the fact that natural kind terms refer to categories with sharp, clear boundaries while colour terms refer to categories with unclear or variable boundaries. Nonetheless, t…
An evaluation of teaching fifteen year olds about HIV/Aids
Safer sex: Lessons from the male sex industry
Discerning the complex factors influencing male sex work is an important element of understanding HIV transmission. The present study examines a sample of London‐based masseurs and street workers' ideas concerning their sexual encounters, their partners and their role in society. Unsafe sex is associated with (1) a lack of perception of control in the sexual encounter, (2) attractive clients, and (3) loving relationships with non‐clients. The way…
An economic analysis of the resettlement of people with mild learning disabilities and challenging behaviour
Safer sex: Lessons from the male sex industry
Discerning the complex factors influencing male sex work is an important element of understanding HIV transmission. The present study examines a sample of London‐based masseurs and street workers' ideas concerning their sexual encounters, their partners and their role in society. Unsafe sex is associated with (1) a lack of perception of control in the sexual encounter, (2) attractive clients, and (3) loving relationships with non‐clients. The way…
The behaviour and self-esteem of children with specific speech and language difficulties
Background. Children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) may have associated difficulties that impair their access to the curriculum, and their social relationships at home and in school. Aims. (i) To identify the range of additional problems experienced by children with SSLD in different educational contexts; (ii) to consider the relationship between these problems and the child's current language status and (iii) to consider t…
Assessing children's writing products: The role of curriculum based measures
The assessment of children's writing raises technical and practical challenges. In this paper we examine the potential use of a curriculum based measure for writing ( CBM ‐W) to assess the written texts of pupils in Key Stage 2 (M age 107 months, range 88 to 125). Two hundred and thirty six Year three, five and six pupils completed a standardized assessment of writing quality. Pupils also responded to two writing probes, one expository and one na…
Acoustical barriers in classrooms: The impact of noise on performance in the classroom
There is general concern about the levels of noise that children are exposed to in classroom situations. The article reports the results of a study that explores the effects of typical classroom noise on the performance of primary school children on a series of literacy and speed tasks. One hundred and fifty‐eight children in six Year 3 classes participated in the study. Classes were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Two noise c…
Interrelation between empathy and friendship development during (pre)adolescence and the moderating effect of developmental language disorder: A longitudinal study
The association between empathy and friendship quality in children and adolescents is well established, but longitudinal studies are lacking. Because social interactions typically involve language, these relations might be moderated by children's communication problems. The current study examined the interrelation of friendship quality (positive and negative) and empathy (affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) development of 317 children…
Investigating affordance of opportunity for young children’s language interactions in a nursery setting: How can small group talk act as a forum for language learning
The importance of research on the unique nature of the communication supporting environment in nurseries has been heightened by growing evidence of the significance of early language skills for later academic and social development. This study focussed on children’s language use during small group times. Opportunities to hear and practise language were examined to uncover variation in conversational experiences for children with differing languag…
Young children's use of phrase structure and inflectional information in form-class assignments of novel nouns and verbs
The ability of 3.5- to 5-year-old children to use phrase structure and inflectional information in form-class assignments of novel nouns and verbs was investigated in two experiments. In Experiment 1 perfor mance was assessed on singular and plural nouns and on verbs with -s and -ing inflections. Accurate form-class assignments were made for all but the -ing inflection. This is attributed to a conflict between phrase structure and inflectional cu…
A Family Copes with Death: A Case Study
A dual representation theory of past tense formation
An evaluation of teaching fifteen year olds about HIV/Aids
Safer sex: Lessons from the male sex industry
Discerning the complex factors influencing male sex work is an important element of understanding HIV transmission. The present study examines a sample of London‐based masseurs and street workers' ideas concerning their sexual encounters, their partners and their role in society. Unsafe sex is associated with (1) a lack of perception of control in the sexual encounter, (2) attractive clients, and (3) loving relationships with non‐clients. The way…
An economic analysis of the resettlement of people with mild learning disabilities and challenging behaviour
Why is colour naming difficult
A suggestion exists in the child language literature that the meanings of natural kind terms are acquired before the meanings of colour terms. Explanations have typically claimed that object terms are more salient than property terms. Such explanations, however, tend to ignore the fact that natural kind terms refer to categories with sharp, clear boundaries while colour terms refer to categories with unclear or variable boundaries. Nonetheless, t…
The behaviour and self-esteem of children with specific speech and language difficulties
Background. Children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) may have associated difficulties that impair their access to the curriculum, and their social relationships at home and in school. Aims. (i) To identify the range of additional problems experienced by children with SSLD in different educational contexts; (ii) to consider the relationship between these problems and the child's current language status and (iii) to consider t…
Motivational interviewing for HIV risk reduction among gay men in commercial and public sex settings
The present paper addresses the feasibility of combining motivational interviewing and cognitive interventions to HIV risk reduction in commercial venues and public sex environments (PSEs). The logic for these two approaches is considered and an intervention combining key elements of the two is presented. The intervention uses a questionnaire format to encourage individuals to compare their desired versus actual behaviour (i.e. chosen personal ri…
Acoustical barriers in classrooms: The impact of noise on performance in the classroom
There is general concern about the levels of noise that children are exposed to in classroom situations. The article reports the results of a study that explores the effects of typical classroom noise on the performance of primary school children on a series of literacy and speed tasks. One hundred and fifty‐eight children in six Year 3 classes participated in the study. Classes were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Two noise c…
Morphosyntax in children with word finding difficulties
Children with word finding difficulties (CwWFDs) are slower and less accurate at naming monomorphemic words than typically developing children (Dockrell, Messer & George, 2001), but their difficulty in naming morphologically complex words has not yet been investigated. One aim of this paper was to identify whether CwWFDs are similar to typically developing children at producing inflected (morphologically complex) words. A second aim was to invest…
Supporting early oral language skills for English language learners in inner city preschool provision
Background. A significant number of children now enter formal education in England with reduced levels of proficiency in oral language. Children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and who are English language learners (ELL) are at risk of limited oral language skills in English which impacts on later educational achievement. Aims. This paper reports the development of a theoretically motivated oral language intervention, Talking Time , desig…
Children with word finding difficulties: Continuities and profiles of abilities
Word finding difficulties (WFDs) occur in more than a quarter of children who are receiving speech and language therapy. This study provides the first investigation of the continuity in WFDs and investigates whether WFDs are associated with phonological or semantically related abilities. Thirty-eight children with WFDs were seen at age 7;0 and at 9;8. Standardized assessments of word finding, language and literacy were administered. The children’…
Investigating affordance of opportunity for young children’s language interactions in a nursery setting: How can small group talk act as a forum for language learning
The importance of research on the unique nature of the communication supporting environment in nurseries has been heightened by growing evidence of the significance of early language skills for later academic and social development. This study focussed on children’s language use during small group times. Opportunities to hear and practise language were examined to uncover variation in conversational experiences for children with differing languag…
Assessing children's writing products: The role of curriculum based measures
The assessment of children's writing raises technical and practical challenges. In this paper we examine the potential use of a curriculum based measure for writing ( CBM ‐W) to assess the written texts of pupils in Key Stage 2 (M age 107 months, range 88 to 125). Two hundred and thirty six Year three, five and six pupils completed a standardized assessment of writing quality. Pupils also responded to two writing probes, one expository and one na…
Interrelation between empathy and friendship development during (pre)adolescence and the moderating effect of developmental language disorder: A longitudinal study
The association between empathy and friendship quality in children and adolescents is well established, but longitudinal studies are lacking. Because social interactions typically involve language, these relations might be moderated by children's communication problems. The current study examined the interrelation of friendship quality (positive and negative) and empathy (affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) development of 317 children…
Conceções dos professores portugueses sobre multilinguismo e práticas educativas em salas de aula multilingues
A Europa é uma realidade linguística diversa e heterogénea que enfrenta o desafio de educar uma população cada vez mais multicultural e multilingue. Os professores de língua(s) são atores nesta realidade, promovendo o multilinguismo e integrando a diversidade. Portugal não foge ao paradigma do multilinguismo e as escolas e professores portugueses vão-se adaptando a uma realidade que, não sendo nova, tem novos contornos. Neste artigo, analisam-se …
Warnock 40 Years on: The Development of Special Educational Needs Since the Warnock Report and Implications for the Future
The report of the Warnock Committee ‘Special Educational Needs, published in 1978, provided the first comprehensive review of special educational needs (SEN) in England and the basis for subsequent legislation, from the Education Act 1981 to the recent Children and Families Act 2014. The Warnock Report has been highly influential with respect to the development of both national and local policy and practice for SEN, primarily in England but also …
Emotional Competence Mediates the Relationship between Communication Problems and Reactive Externalizing Problems in Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder: A Longitudinal Study
Language problems are a risk factor for externalizing problems, but the developmental path remains unclear. Emotional competence may mediate the relationship, especially when externalizing problems are reactive in nature, such as in Oppositional Deviant Disorder (ODD) and reactive aggression. We examined the development of reactive and proactive externalizing problems in children with ( n = 98) and without ( n = 156) Developmental Language Disord…
Universal strategies for the improvement of expressive language skills in the primary classroom: A systematic review
Oral language skills underpin children’s educational success and enhance positive life outcomes. Yet, significant numbers of children struggle to develop competence in speaking and listening, especially those from areas of high economic deprivation. A tiered intervention model, graduating the level of provision in line with levels of need, has been posited as most appropriate for supporting children’s language development. The first tier, or univ…
Measuring early child development across low and middle-income countries: A systematic review
The Sustainable Development Goals mandate that by 2030, all children should have access to quality early child development opportunities, healthcare and pre-primary education. Yet validated measures of ECD in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are rare. To address this gap, a Systematic Review (SR) of measures available to profile the development of children between the ages of 0–5 years in LMICs was undertaken. Drawing on education, psychol…
Oral language at school entry: Dimensionality of speaking and listening skills
There has been a resurgence in concern about the levels of pupils’ oral language skills at school entry. To support and develop these skills effectively an understanding of the key components of oral language is required. We examined the oral language skills of monolingual children in Reception (MAge = 57.9 months; n = 126) and Year 1 (MAge = 69.07; n = 124) classes in England. Children were recruited from schools that were representative of Lond…
Teaching and learning in a multilingual Europe: Findings from a cross-European study
School classrooms within the EU are multilingual learning environments. The diversity of pupils in classrooms raises significant challenges for teachers, but to date, there are no data from large-scale surveys that compare views within and across European countries. A bespoke questionnaire was designed to examine views of current classroom learning environments with respect to the multilingualism. The questionnaire was piloted and subsequently co…
Examining the psychometric properties of the ELLECCT: A commentary on Weadman, Serry and Snow (2022)
Domain-specific observational tools that use valid and objectively measurable items are key to supporting improvement and developing understanding of practice in early years classrooms. The ‘Emergent Literacy and Language Early Childhood Checklist for Teachers’ (ELLECCT) aims to address a current gap in the tools that are available to capture behaviours which support language and literacy during book reading activities. We examine the ELLECCT’s u…
Topic maintenance in social conversation: What children need to learn and evidence this can be taught
Individual differences in children’s social communication have been shown to mediate the relationship between poor vocabulary or grammar and behavioural difficulties. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that social communication skills predict difficulties with peers over and above vocabulary and grammar scores. The essential social communicative skills needed to maintain positive peer relationships revolve around conversation. Children with w…
Psychology (25 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Language Development and Disorders (11 works) · Linguistics (11 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Reading and Literacy Development (8 works) · Mathematics education (7 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Pedagogy (7 works) · Social Psychology (6 works)