Insights Brief: Assessing Fairly: Home Language vs. Familiar Language in Early Learning Outcome Measures

This brief explores the relationship between home language, language of assessment, and developmental performance in the ELOM 4&5 cohort. It shows how children’s results can be influenced when they are assessed in a language that is not the one they speak at home.

What’s Inside

• Summary of research findings comparing outcomes across home and assessment languages.
• Implications for teaching, practice, and language support planning.

Why It Matters

Accurate measurement requires fair and context-sensitive interpretation. When the language of an assessment does not match the child’s home language, children’s results are affected. Understanding this distinction is critical for correct assessment protocols.

Use this evidence to strengthen fairness and accuracy in child sampling and assessing.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL INSIGHTS BRIEF HERE

Title: Assessing Fairly: Home Language vs. Familiar Language in Early Learning Outcome Measures

Author: Andrew Dawes (Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town)

Published: October 2025