The Efficacy of Recasts in Language Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis critically evaluated the research evidence on the effectiveness of conversational recasts on grammatical development for children with language impairments. Method Two different but complementary reviews were conducted and then integrated. Systematic searches of the literature resulted in 35 articles for the systematic review. Studies that employed a wide variety of study designs were involved but all examined interventions where recasts were the key component. The meta-analysis only included studies that allowed the calculation of effect sizes, but it did include package interventions in which recasts were a major part. Fourteen studies were included, 7 of which were also in the systematic review. Studies were grouped according to research phase and rated for quality. Results Study quality and thus strength of evidence varied substantially. Nevertheless, across all phases, the vast majority of studies provided support for the use of recasts. Meta-analyses found average effect sizes of .96 for proximal measures and 0.76 for distal measures, reflecting a positive benefit of about ¾ to one standard deviation. Conclusion The available evidence is limited but it is supportive of the use of recasts in grammatical intervention. Critical features of recasts in grammatical interventions are discussed.

Perceptual statistical learning over one week in child speech production

“…For example, if a child leaves off the copula be from their speech and says, “The dog running,” a clinician might respond with the correct form by saying, “Yes, the dog is running very fast.” A recent meta-analysis by Cleave, Becker, Curran, Van Horne, and Fey (2015) supports the use of recasting in intervention. The present study supports a basic assumption inherent to recasting, namely, that children can learn accurate forms from what they hear.…”

Dose Schedule and Enhanced Conversational Recast Treatment for Children With Specific Language Impairment

“…Cleave, Becker, Curran, Van Horne, & Fey, 2015). Several treatment studies reported in the language intervention literature provide evidence that supports the basic efficacy of conversational recast treatment for targeting morphosyntax in preschool-age children (e.g., Camarata & Nelson, 1992;Camarata, Nelson, & Camarata, 1994;Leonard, Camarata, Brown, & Camarata, 2004;Leonard, Camarata, Pawlowska, Brown, & Camarata, 2006;Nelson, Camarata, Welsh, Butkovsky, & Camarata, 1996).…”

Feasibility of a Recasting and Auditory Bombardment Treatment With Young Cochlear Implant Users

“…Multiple studies using versions of conversational recast therapy have resulted in significant improvements in children's grammatical skills (see Cleave et al, 2015, for a review). Enhanced conversational recast treatment, as used by Plante et al (2014), yielded positive gains in use of morphology by preschool children with SLI.…”

“…Given that both groups of children share grammatical deficits, approaches that have been successful for children with SLI might also be useful for children with cochlear implants. Conversational recast is one treatment technique that has been used successfully to treat morpheme deficits in children with SLI (see Cleave, Becker, Curran, Owen Van Horne, & Fey, 2015, or McCauley & Fey, 2006 for reviews). Conversational recast treatment does not involve explicit instruction of targeted grammatical forms, but rather provides verbal models of at least one grammatical form (e.g., auxiliary is, plural s) that is the target of treatment.…”