Investigating the validity of picture-based assessments across cultures and contexts: Evidence from young children in Kenya and the United States.

What is it about?

Researchers frequently use picture-based assessments across cultures and contexts. We found that preschoolers in a Kenyan context (Mombasa County) were more accurate on an object-based vocabulary assessment than a picture-based vocabulary assessment, whereas toddlers and preschoolers in an American context (San Francisco Bay Area) were equally accurate on an object-based vocabulary assessment and a picture-based vocabulary assessment. These findings tentatively suggest that picture- based assessments may sometimes underestimate children’s capacities, particularly in some global contexts where children may have relatively little experience with pictures.

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