Clinical Evaluation of

Language Fundamentals-
Fourth Edition
(CELF-4)

Group Members:
Jennifer Heitkemper, Terri Mooney,
Jackie Schultheis, Courtney Combs,
and Christin Assi
Test Background
 Author
 Eleanor Semel, Ed.D
 Elisabeth H. Wiig, Ph.D
 Wayne A. Secord, Ph.D

 Publisher
 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Age Range
 5-21 years

 Cost:
 Screening Test- $262
 Includes: Screening Test Examiner’s Manual, CELF-4 Screening Test Record Forms (25), CELF-
4 Screening Test Stimulus Book
Purpose
 An evaluation tool that is used to identify,
diagnose, and conduct follow-up evaluations of
language and communication disorders in patients
between the ages 5 and 21 years old.

 The fourth edition has better assessment procedures

that are comprehensive, flexible and multi-
perspective
Design and Construction
 Administered  Materials:
individually  Examiner’s Manual
 Used by:
 SLPs  Two Stimulus Books
 School Psychologists
 Special Educators
 Record Forms 1 and 2
 Diagnosticians

 Observational Rating
Scale
The CELF-4 Assessment Process
Model
Test Administration
 Stimulus Book is set up as an easel and placed
between examiner and examinee
 Directions shown to examiner
 Visual stimuli shown to examinee
 Directions for each subtest are written on stimulus
book and Record Form
 Certain subtests allow repetition
 Certain subtests have a ceiling
Give example
Subtests-Level 1
 Concepts & Following Directions

 Word Structure

 Formulated Sentences

 Recalling Sentences

 Word Classes 2

 Word Definitions
Concepts and Following Directions
Word Structure
Formulating Sentences
Subtests-Level 2
 Word Classes 1

 Sentence Structure

 Expressive Vocabulary

 Word Definitions

 Sentence Assembly

 Semantic Relationships

 Understanding Spoken Paragraphs

Word Classes - 1
Sentence Structure
Expressive Vocabulary
Sentence Assembly
Semantic Relatioships
Subtests-Level 3
 Phonological Awareness

 Word Associations

 Rapid Automatic Naming

 Number Repetition 1

 Familiar Sequences 1
Rapid Automatic Naming
Level 3 Assessment Demonstration
 Familiar Sequences
 All Ages
 Repeat familiar sequences as fast as possible
 Alphabet
 Days of the Week
 Odd Numbers
 Etc.

 Number Repetition
 All Ages
 Repeat numbers forwards and backwards
Subtests-Level 4
 Pragmatics Profile

 Observational Rating Scale

Scoring Test – Types of Scoring
 Subtests
 Scaled Scores
 Confidence Intervals (68, 90, or 95% level)
 Percentile Ranks
 Confidence Interval
 Age Equivalents
 Criterion-Referenced Scores
 Meets/Does Not Meet
 Normal/Slower than Normal/Non-Normal
Scoring Test – Types of Scoring
 Core Language Score and Indexes
 Scaled Scores from specified tests are added together and
converted to a standard score
 Standard Score
 Mean – 100 SD -15
 Confidence Interval
 Percentile Rank
 Confidence Interval
 Discrepancy Comparisons
 Looking for significance of differences between:
 Receptive Language Index/Expressive Language Index
 Language Content Index/Language Structure Index
Test Score Interpretation
 Norm-Referenced Core Language Score
 Norm-Referenced Index Scores
 Receptive Language Index
 Expressive Language Index
 Language Content Index
 Language Structure Index
 Working Memory Index
Adequacy of Norms
 Age and ethnic background

 Non-native English speakers and second language

English speakers

 Not normed on other aspects

Test Strength and Limitations

Strengths Limitations
 Results give clinicians a  Full test is time consuming to administer
Clinician needs to be very familiar with
broad view of student’s 
dialects or language communities to
language skills which a student is exposed
 Any modifications made to the test
 4 Levels of assessment invalidate the norms so scores cannot be
allow for deeper reported
understanding of possible  No indication of normalization on ESL
children
underlying problems  Lack of engaging content for some
 Multiple composite scores subtests (ex. Recalling Sentences and
Phonological Awareness)
to assess student’s  Heavy reliance on memory
strengths and weaknesses
Test Reliability
 Does this test provide consistent scores?
 Test-Retest Reliability

-Is the test dependable across repeated administrations.

-Data showed that the test was reliable across all ages.
 No alternate form was administered.

 Internal Consistency

-How well does the test measure one construct?

- Split-half method
Test Validity
 Does this test measure what it is meant to measure?
 Content Validity

- Positives

- Negatives

 Construct Validity

- Sensitivity- level of construct validity

- Used diagnostics validity statistics to test sensitivity

of various cut scores.
Questions?
References

Alphonse, J. (Performer), Blakley, A. (Performer), & Brown, D.

(Performer) (2011, Oct 26). Celf-4. ablakley24. [Video podcast].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6JNsGUtvM

Celf-4 case studies. (2008). Retrieved from http://

www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/E958293A-C2EA-4A03-
B8EE-98CA705035A0/0/CELF4_Case_Studies.pdf
Ryan, M. (Producer) (2012, March 28). Test and assessments group
project: Celf-4. CELF-4. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://
www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/E958293A-C2EA-4A03-
B8EE-98CA705035A0/0/CELF4_Case_Studies.pdf
Semel, E., Wiig, E., & Secord, W. (2004). Clinical evaluation of language
fundamentals: Fourth edition. (4th ed.). San Antonio : Pearson
Education, Inc.