HILLT

High Level Language Comprehension Test

for children aged 5 to 11 years.

Devised by Dr Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University.

HILLT

www.blacksheeppress.co.uk

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 Contents
Introduction 7
Who is the HILLT for? 7
What does the HILLT measure? 7

Development of the HILLT 9

Rationale for the development of the HILLT 9
Clinical rationale for developing an assessment of high level
comprehension – justification from the literature 9
A brief summary of the development of the HILLT 13
Conclusions from the final study 14

Test administration and scoring 16

Choosing the scope of the test 16
Appropriate sections for different ages 16
Instructions for testers 16
Preparing for testing 18

Scoring 18

Summary of final score sheets and record forms 19

Summary of final scores for ages 5:00–5:11 20
Summary of final scores for ages 6:00–9:11 21
Summary of final scores for ages 10:00–11:11 22
Record forms 23
Emotions sheet 49
Yes, No, Maybe words 50

Marking criteria for the HILLT 52

Reference tables and how to score the HILLT 62

How to score the HILLT 62
How to interpret the total test scores 63
Sub-section scores 64
Total test scores: age equivalents, centiles 67

References 71
Appendix 1 HILLT and marking criteria development 76
The development of the HILLT 76

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 5
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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 Development of the test marking criteria 83
Appendix 2 Qualitative analysis of the test results in typically-developing
children 91
Appendix 3 Four exploratory case studies 101
Using the HILLT to assess children with communication
impairments 101

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 6
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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 Introduction
Understanding of high level language (i.e. inferences and non-literal language
such as idioms) is critical for successful communication and academic learning.
Assessment of high level language comprehension is essential for children
who are showing difficulties in these areas so that appropriate intervention and
support can be provided.

There is very little information on the typical development of these specific

areas of verbal comprehension in the literature and there are very few current
assessments of high level comprehension for British school-aged children.
While many assessments that do exist have face validity, very few are
standardised. Some children with comprehension difficulties do well on existing
picture-based assessments of verbal comprehension but they demonstrate
significant difficulties with more abstract language comprehension. There is
a gap in the current battery of assessments available to paediatric speech
and language therapists for assessing inferential and idiom comprehension
in detail. The author therefore developed this high level comprehension
assessment.

Who is the HILLT for?

The HILLT is a test of high level language comprehension for children aged
5:00 to 11:11. It can be administered by speech and language therapists,
teachers and other health and education professionals.

The target population is English speaking children with communication

impairments, specifically those with receptive language difficulties.

What does the HILLT measure?

The HILLT is a robust standardised British assessment of high level language
comprehension.

It consists of verbal questions and requires verbal answers from the children.
However, only basic expressive language is required for the child to be able to
answer the questions correctly. It assesses beyond key word level and ‘Blank
level’ understanding. (Blank 1978a)

Year group age equivalents and centiles are provided for the total test scores.
However, testers may administer selected sub-tests rather than the whole test.
Year group age equivalent scores are provided for each sub-test.

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 7
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
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 The child’s responses can be qualitatively analysed as well as quantitatively
assessed. Sections are provided within the pack with examples of unusual
answers given by both typically-developing and communication impaired
children. Suggestions for interpreting these are given. (See Appendices 2 and 3)

Test results are a useful tool to contribute towards differential diagnosis of

different types of communication impairment.

The test will also highlight specific areas of high level comprehension to target
for intervention.

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 8
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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 Test administration and scoring
The administration guidelines and the marking criteria need to be followed
to ensure the validity and reliability of the test is maintained.

The whole test takes 45 minutes to administer if the tester records the
child’s answers orthographically and 25 minutes if the test is audio-
recorded and the responses transcribed later. If you are audio-recording the
child you must ensure that you follow your establishment’s data protection
procedures and that you have obtained the appropriate consent from the
child’s parents to record the child and informed them of when and how you
will dispose of the recorded data.

Choosing the scope of the test

There is no test baseline or test cut-off point for the whole test or different
sub-sections. Administer the test in its entirety if you want to obtain an age
equivalent score plus a centile rank.

It is permissible to administer selected sub-sections of the test. These will

give you age equivalent scores only.

Appropriate sections for different ages

Ages 5:00–5:11 – administer sections 1–8 only of the test. Use the
appropriate recording forms for this age group on page 20.

Ages 6:00–9:11 – administer section 1–12 of the test. Use the appropriate
recording forms for this age group on page 21.

Ages 10:00–11:11 – administer only sub-section 12 (idioms) to this age group.

Use the appropriate recording forms for this age group on page 22.

Instructions for testers

This is a verbal test so keep the test form out of sight as much as possible
so the child does not try to read the questions. Write down the child’s exact
verbal response to each of the questions. If he/she uses gestures to answer
some questions describe the gestures used.

The HILLT should be carried out in a quiet environment with as few

distractions as possible. The test should be offered to the child as a positive
experience, for example, as a ‘special job’. The adult administering the test

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 16
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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High Level Language Comprehension Test (HILLT)
Summary of final scores for ages 5:00–5:11

Date of assessment: Child’s name:

Child’s date of birth: Child’s chronolgical age:
School attended: Child’s sex: M/F
Assessed by:

Sub-section scores

Nearest age
Raw score
equivalent
Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Section 8

Total test scores

Raw score Nearest age equivalent Centile rank

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 20
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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 Record forms for ages 5:00–9:11
Section 1, page 1 of 2

Section 1. Simple deductions

Score
Questions (Score 1 for
Write child’s exact verbal response and/or gestures used. every correct
answer)

1. I am a musical instrument. You bang me with your hand or with sticks.

I make a loud noise. What am I?
(drum/tambourine/cymbal/gong)

2. I am an animal. You would see me in a zoo. I look like a horse.

I have black and white stripes. What am I?
(zebra)

3. I am an animal. I am pink or brown. I live on a farm in a sty. People say I am greedy. I

have a curly tail. What am I?
(pig)

4. I am clothes. I am often made from wool. You put me on your hands. I keep your hands
warm when it is cold. What am I?
(gloves/mittens/muff)

5. I am food. I have a hard shell. You sometimes need to crack my shell to get at me.
There are lots of different kinds of me. Squirrels like to eat me. What am I?
(nut, any kind)

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 23
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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Marking criteria for the HILLT
Please use your professional discretion to mark the few answers that may not be covered by the
marking criteria below. Mark any justified responses as correct.
For example:
Section 4, question 7: ‘What could you do if you burnt a cake you had baked for your mum’s birthday?’
Child: ‘Give it to her because my mum likes burnt cake.’

Accept local dialectal vocabulary.

For example:
‘narky’ for ‘moody’; ‘get a wiggle on’ for ‘get your skates on.’

Acceptable answers
Section 1. Simple deductions
1. Drum/tambourine/cymbal/gong.
2. Zebra.
3. Pig.
4. Gloves/mittens/muff.
5. Nut (any kind).
6. Window.
7. Violin/viola/fiddle.
8. Umbrella/brolly.

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 52
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

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 Reference tables and how to score
the HILLT
Apart from the ages 10:00–11:11 idiom sections there is no significant effect
for gender so the results are presented as combined male and female
scores.

How to score the HILLT

• Select the appropriate ‘Summary of final scores’ sheet for the age of the
child you have assessed (pages 20–22).
• Score up each sub-section, using the marking criteria.
• Enter the raw score into the box for each sub-section.
• Using pages 64–66, find the child’s raw score in the left hand column
and enter the age equivalent (from the corresponding right hand box)
into the age equivalent box on the score sheet.
• If the child scores below the lowest mean score you can record ‘less
than’ or ‘<’ age equivalent X in the box. If the child scores above the
highest mean score you can record ‘more than’ or ‘>’ age equivalent X in
the box.

Once you have done this for all the sub-sections, calculate the total raw
score.
• Add up all the raw scores in the sub-section raw score columns.
• Enter this score into the total test score raw score box on the record
sheet.
• Then go to page 67. Find the score nearest to the child’s total raw score
and enter the corresponding age equivalent in the second box on the
record sheet.
• If the child scores in-between the raw scores given use the age
equivalent that is nearest to the child’s raw score. For example, if a child
scores 115, put in the right hand column that the child scores at nearly an
aged 9:00 level.

You can calculate the centiles for the total test score from pages 68–70.
• Go to the appropriate grid for the child’s age (5:00–5:11 and 6:00–6:11 on
page 68, 7:00–7:11 and 8:00–8:11 on page 69 and 9:00–9:11 on page 70).
• Go to the child’s raw score in the first column then go over to the centile
column on the right in the same row to find the centile score.
• Record this score in the appropriate boxes on the record sheet.

HILLT, High Level Language Comprehension Test © 2018 Anne Hewitt, Manchester Metropolitan University and Black Sheep Press Ltd. 62
Black Sheep Press, 67, Middleton, Cowling, Keighley, W. Yorks, BD22 0DQ, England. Tel. +44 (0)1535 631346; email: [email protected] ; web: www.blacksheeppress.co.uk
It is only permitted for the licensee shown below to print/photocopy these worksheets for use in their clinic/school. See page 3 for full details of the licence conditions.

Low resolution sample for viewing on the web