Steps for CFU Analysis

 

1. Count the number of verbs in the utterance. For late preschool and school-age kids, you will usually consider ONLY those utterances that contain and subject and verb.

2a. If there are two or more verbs, determine sentence relation category(ies) from the multiverb list.  There will be a content category (and phase) for every pair of verbs in an utterance.  (# Categories = # Verbs - 1). These are shown in blue in the interactive chart.

2b. If there is only one verb, choose the sentence relation category from the single verb list. These are shown in green in the interactive chart.

3. Go back through the utterance and circle any words that code a coordinated category.  Over each circled word, write the category and phase (if possible). These are shown in red in the interactive chart.

4. Use information regarding coordinated categories to help determine the phase in which the sentence relation(s) belongs.

5. Make a tally for each content category/phase included in your sample.  Three occurrences of a category/phase is considered productive, or acquired.  Categories that are not classified as productive are potential goals. 

 

Multiverb Categories

Volition/Intent

Notice/Perception

Temporal

Additive

Causal

Specification

Epistemic

Adversative

Communication

 

Single Verb Categories

Existence

Action

Locative Action

Locative State

State

Notice/Perception

Epistemic

Communication

 

Coordinated Categories

Recurrence (more, another, again)

Rejection (no, don't)

Denial (no, not, doesn't, don't)

Attribution (adjectives, adverbs)

Possession (possessive 's, poss pronouns)                          

Quantity (plural s, numbers, quantity pronouns)

Tense/Aspect (3pp -s, -ing, past tense, now, will)

Demonstrative/Article (this, that, the)

Dative (indirect object)