Compare your transcript to a database of normative language measures. The individual may be matched on age, grade, gender, sampling context, and transcript length. Matched records are selected from the database and mean, range and standard deviation statistics are given for many of the analysis variables. There are two sets of reference databases: Set A: Primary English Speakers and Set B: Bilingual Spanish/English Speakers. Both sets are described below.

Set A: Primary English Speakers

• Conversation Database

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the Conversation database files and Conversation database documentation.

The Conversation database consists of conversational samples from 613 typically developing students, ages 2;8 - 13;3, located in Wisconsin and California. Conversation samples were elicited between the student and an examiner using a defined set of conversational topics including classroom activities, holidays, family activities and family pets. If necessary, samples were collected in a play situation for younger children.

• Narrative SSS Database

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the Narrative SSS database files and Narrative SSS database documentation.

The Narrative SSS (student selects subject) database consists of narrative samples from almost 400 typically developing 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13 year-old children drawn from preschools in Madison, Wisconsin or from the Madison Metropolitan Public School System. Additional 3, 5, and 7-year-old subjects were drawn from rural areas in northern Wisconsin . There are children from a variety of economic backgrounds and ability levels. "Typically developing" was determined by normal progress in school and absence of special education services. Economic background was determined by eligibility for the free lunch program. Ability level was determined by teacher rating. Age and gender data is available for all subjects. Subjects were asked to retell a favorite movie or game.

• Narrative Story Retell Database

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the Narrative Story Retell database files and Narrative Story Retell database documentation.

The Narrative Story Retell database contains samples from 346 typically developing English-fluent children in grades P, K, 1, 2, 3 and 4, ages 4;4 - 10;0, located in Wisconsin and California. Age, gender and grade data is available for all subjects. The examiner read or told the story to the student while they looked at the book together. Then the examiner gave the book to the student and asked him/her to retell the story using the book. Different stories were used depending on grade in school.

• Gillam Narrative Tasks Database

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the Gillam Narrative Tasks database files and Gillam Narrative Tasks database documentation.

The Gillam Narrative Tasks database consists of narrative samples from 500 children, ranging in age from 5;0 to 11;11, including 50 five-year olds, 100 six-year olds, 100 seven-year-olds, 100 eight-year-olds, 50 nine-year-olds, 50 ten-year-olds, and 50 eleven-year-olds. Children came from four US regions (Northeast, South, Midwest , and West). Their primary language was English and they had not been identified with a disability and were not receiving any special education services. Examiners collected data on children's ability to tell stories in three formats: (a) a script retell (no picture cues), (b) a story about five sequenced pictures, and (c) a fictional narrative based on a single picture. The examiner scripts and picture stimuli which were used to elicit the narratives are available in the Test of Narrative Language (Gillam & Pearson, 2004).

• New Zealand Reference Databases

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the New Zealand Conversation database files, the New Zealand Personal Narrative database files, the New Zealand Story Retell database files and the New Zealand database documentation.

The New Zealand databases consist of conversational and narrative samples from typically developing children, ages 4;6 to 7;6, drawn from major and secondary urban areas in New Zealand. The narrative samples were taken in the contexts of relating personal experiences and story retells. A total of 256 children participated in the study. The children were randomly selected from schools in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch (major urban areas in New Zealand) as well as secondary urban areas surrounding Christchurch. Approximately 80% of the participants were from the Auckland/Hamilton region to reflect New Zealand 's population density in these areas. Children with diagnosed disabilities were excluded from the sample. The schools reflected a range of socio-economic areas and English was the first language of all children included in the database.

The New Zealand Conversation database protocol aimed to elicit 50 complete and intelligible utterances from the child in 10 minutes of conversation. The protocol was adapted from interview procedures described by Evans and Craig (1992). The child was asked to bring an object from the classroom to discuss with the examiner. The examiner encouraged the child to talk about the object. The child was then asked to talk about his or her family, school, and after-school activities.

For the New Zealand Story Retell database, the child was required to listen to two audio-recordings of an unfamiliar story (while looking at pictures in the story book). Following the first listening of the story, the child was asked eight questions about the story, to evaluate story comprehension. All children were provided with the correct information after answering the questions. Following the second listening of the story the child was asked to retell the story without the use of the pictures.

Set B: Bilingual Spanish/English Speakers

• Bilingual Spanish/English Story Retell Databases

SALT V7, V8 and V9 users download the Bilingual English Story Retell database files, the Bilingual Spanish Story Retell database files and the Bilingual database documentation.

The Bilingual Spanish/English Story Retell databases consist of English and Spanish story-retell narratives from over 2,000 native Spanish-speaking bilingual (Spanish/English) children. These English language learners (ELLs) were drawn from public school ELL classrooms in urban Texas (Houston and Austin), border Texas (Brownsville), and urban California (Los Angeles). The children reflect the diverse socio-economic status of these areas. Age, grade and gender data is available for all children and mother's education is available for many. Samples were elicited from each child in both Spanish and English. Using the wordless picture book Frog, Where Are You? by Mercer Mayer, the examiner told the story to the child in the target language while they looked at the book together. Then the examiner gave the book to the student and asked him/her to retell the story using the book.

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