Why is an assessment necessary?
When students are not reaching their potential at school, it is vital to establish the reasons behind their difficulties. A comprehensive assessment will establish ability levels and compare your child to grade or age equivalents. The assessment report becomes the basis for an individual, intervention program.
Individual assessment
What type of assessments are given?
An assessor will work with your child one-to-one for approximately 1½ hours to evaluate either literacy or maths levels. Standardised tests (from the Australian Council of Educational Research) and criteria-referenced testing are used. We also offer Readiness for Learning assessments for preschool and Kindergarten children to establish current skills or weaknesses.
Literacy assessments are recommended initially to identify strengths and weaknesses in particular areas, e.g., reading, comprehension, spelling, etc. For example, a child who cannot read or comprehend well may misunderstand maths questions, even if mathematical ability is good.
What will an assessment tell me?
Standardised tests for Literacy and Maths will establish the level at which your child can successfully work and how this compares to others of the same age or grade. Observations during the standardised tests and informal activities will illustrate the manner in which your child approaches tasks and how this may enhance or affect performance.
When will I get assessment results?
Immediately after the assessment, the assessor will explain the variety of testing used and discuss findings with you. The parent/assessor interview usually takes ½ to ¾ hour. Generally within a week you will receive a detailed report (8 or 9 typed pages) which will list results of all tests, analyse reasons for any problems and make recommendations for future intervention. The assessor will be available for further discussion to help you make appropriate decisions.