Writing Archives

What is Brigance Testing?

April 9, 2015 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

What is Brigance Testing? Brigance is a screening tool widely used by schools for students in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade. The test is not an IQ test nor is it a full scale educational assessment – it is a norm referenced test that compares each child’s results with the performance of other examinees. Brigance Testing covers a variety of school based curriculum topics through a series of 12 assessments, including language development, science and math proficiencies and gross motor skills.

Who administers the test?

The test is administered in a one-on-one setting and takes approximately 15 minutes. In many schools the test can be done by the reading specialist, the classroom teacher, or school psychologist.

How is the test scored?

The test is scored by the test administrator in 3 steps. First, the administrator scores each of the 12 assessment areas individually. They do this by multiplying the total correct answers for that section by a specific point value per question. Each section has questions weighed at a different amount based on the skill level required and age of testing. For example, a Kindergartener will only get ½ point for each uppercase letter named correctly but gets 3 points for each correct question related to number readiness. Second, after they have determined the child’s scores for each section they compile the results. The test is based on a total score of 100 points. Third, the total score is compared to a national average scale to indicate if the student is above, below, or of average ability level.

Why do schools use Brigance Testing?

Many schools use this screening tool to identify incoming students who may be at risk for learning difficulties and who might benefit from intervention. Likewise, the test has the capability to indicate a child who may be above average and thus provide the support necessary for a more enriching learning experience.

Do all schools use Brigance Testing?

No, they do not. The use of Brigance Testing is subject to the administrative decisions of each school and school district’s procedures when screening incoming Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade students.

By Danielle Meyer, Reading Specialist

Toddler Writing Milestones

April 8, 2015 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

PBS Parents is an excellent free resource for parents on a variety of topics, including: education, child development, food and fitness, and issues and advice. We particularly liked this post about ways parents can support their toddler’s writing readiness and development at home.

The information below is re-posted from the PBS Parents website:

You can support your toddler’s writing development by having materials available. Keeping materials for writing and drawing handy will encourage your toddler to draw and “write.” Children take pride in their work and like to have their attempts acknowledged by parents or caregivers

Drawing is a complex task, but it helps toddlers become writers. Drawing involves grasping a crayon or marker, holding the paper so it doesn’t move, and applying just the right amount of pressure with the marker–all at the same time. As toddlers develop and practice these skills, they become better writers and drawers.

Toddlers develop the control in their hands needed in order to use writing tools. By 18 months, many children are able to hold a marker and scribble on paper. Some toddlers are able to make a few letters such as “X” or “O” by the time they are 3 years old. At first, they may make these letters purely by accident, though.

Older toddlers like to use “writing” in their play. Using chalk, crayons, markers, and pencils, toddlers mimic how they have seen adults use writing in their lives. For example, your toddler might pretend to be a police officer “writing” traffic tickets or a mommy stuffiing her purse with notes on the way to the grocery store.

Older toddlers become aware that written symbols, such as letters or pictures, represent real objects. This awareness lays the foundation for them to become not only writers, but readers as well. In order to read and write, your toddler must first understand that letters stand for sounds and that groups of letters together stand for words.

Encouraging Your Toddler

Provide opportunities for your toddler to develop the physical skills needed for writing. In order for children to be able to control tools like pencils and markers, they must develop motor coordination in their hands. Encouraging your child to stack blocks, pick up toys, finger paint, and roll playdough shapes will help develop these necessary fine-motor skills.
Keep crayons and other drawing tools in easy reach. This will encourage your child to use these tools to scribble on paper. These pictures, squiggles, and lines are the beginnings of your child’s writing. At the same time, your child will learn that she can communicate ideas through pictures or symbols.
Introduce your toddler to her written first name. As toddlers realize they are individuals, their names take on special meaning. Many toddlers develop an awareness of the letters in their name, especially the very special first letter. Call attention to the letters in your toddler’s name and take the opportunity to point out those letters as they appear on signs, in books, or on labels in the supermarket. As you load groceries into your cart at the market, you can say, “Look, it says ‘macaroni.’ Macaroni starts with ‘M,’ like your name–Matty.”
Respond to the intended meaning of your toddler’s marks on paper.Younger toddlers may tell you a line is a dragon. Older toddlers may proudly tell you, “This says ‘I love you’” as they point to squiggles on the page. Whatever your child draws, or no matter how readable it is, make sure to respond to the meaning of the writing. Display you toddler’s work to instill a sense of pride.

Helping Your Kids Succeed with Homework

April 2, 2015 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

As students get older, expectations and responsibilities increase. This includes taking on homework, which has many benefits, even at a young age. For younger students, having homework bridges a connection between school and home. It reinforces strategies and concepts introduced in school, and gives children an opportunity to practice these skills independently.

Homework routines instill a sense of autonomy and responsibility in children, as well as teach them time management and organization skills. Setting up successful routines early on will go far to support children as they move on in school and expectations rise.

Setting up Routines and Expectations

Establishing and reinforcing healthy, positive homework routines will greatly help students to be successful with their process. Students should have a large role in deciding on and putting these routines into place. The first step is to think about when homework assignments will be completed. Will students do their work immediately after school, or are they more focused after a playdate or other activity and a snack?

Perhaps they have particular extra-curricular activities on specific days, which may affect when they can accomplish their homework activities. Have students decide when, and under what conditions, they work best and make a homework schedule that can be easily displayed in the home.

Next, it is important for students to think about where they will complete their homework. They should consider whether they focus better alone, or with people and activity around them. The spot they choose should be comfortable, but with a supportive chair and flat surface, as to best echo the familiar classroom setting. Once children decide on a “good place for them,” help them to stock it with any supplies that may be necessary for their assignments. Having sharpened pencils, erasers, a ruler, and scrap paper or a notepad will reinforce that the area is a work space, and will give children the tools they need to be successful.

By Jenny Madden, Private Tutor

Special Education

April 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

My Learning Springboard is a professional community of experienced educators and learning specialists under the leadership of a multidisciplinary team. From individualizing classroom learning, to navigating bureaucratic red tape, to finding and pursuing a child’s interests, our goal is to make sure that our students and their families receive the resources that they need. Ongoing communication among all stakeholders — students, families, schools, and related service professionals — is crucial for a child’s academic, social and emotional success. Therefore, we provide special education services, consultation, and guidance at every step.

Our faculty and professional network includes Board Certified Educational Planners, special education teachers, educational therapists, reading and math specialists, behavior specialists, family advocates, legal counsel, psychologists, developmental pediatricians, language and speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and holistic health professionals among others.

We offer both short-term special education consultation and ongoing comprehensive support depending on a family’s needs. We help families to navigate, select, develop or pursue appropriate special education services in any of the following areas and beyond:

Early intervention
IEP or 504 processes
Documentation review and strategic planning
Private evaluations and expert witnesses
Autism support
Behavior intervention
Parent coaching
Homeschool programs
Private Special Education Itinerant Teachers (SEITs)
Shadow teachers and paraeducators

Our leadership team manages cases collaboratively benefitting from our complementary expertise. We often include reading and math specialists to assist with comprehensive diagnostic assessments and then work together to define recommendations and ongoing programs. Selected learning specialists or special education teachers from our faculty may become involved in direct instruction or consultation with families. Ongoing assessment and benchmarking is always built into our approach.The needs of every child and every family are different, and our goal at My Learning Springboard is to promote collaboration and facilitate success for every student.

Read more about private evaluations and related services or the most common assessments typically selected for educational testing or neuropsychological evaluations.

Please contact our office for more information.

Most Common Formal Assessments for Educational Evaluations

March 16, 2015 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Psychologists and educational professionals use many different different assessment tools to conduct educational evaluations. Our Leadership Team helps families to review educational testing and neuropsychological evaluations in order to determine next steps and interventions in collaboration with related service professionals. In our review of student documentation, we’ve found that the following assessments are some of the most commonly selected by educational professionals and psychologists.

Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS)

The ASRS was designed to effectively identify symptoms, behaviors, and associated features of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in children and adolescents aged 2 to 18. The ASRS provides the first nationally standardized, norm-referenced ASD Rating Scale. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration

The Beery-Buktenica visual-motor integration test is a neuropsychological test that analyzes visual construction skills. It identifies problems with visual perception, motor coordination, and visual-motor integration such as hand-eye coordination. The Beery-Buktenica Test, also known as Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration or VMI, is designed to identify deficits in visual perception, fine motor skills , and hand-eye coordination. It may be used to diagnose cognitive development disorders in young children through an analysis of visual construction skills. It can be administered to individuals from age two through young adulthood and can also be used to test adults of all ages, particularly those who have been disabled by stroke , injury, or Alzheimer’s disease. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)

A comprehensive set of rating scales and forms including the Teacher Rating Scales (TRS), Parent Rating Scales (PRS), Self-Report of Personality (SRP), Student Observation System (SOS), and Structured Developmental History (SDH). Together, they help you understand the behaviors and emotions of children and adolescents. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF)

Determines language strengths and weaknesses. Provides Receptive Language and Expressive Language scores, and additional composite scores-Language Structure, Language Content, Language Content and Memory, and Working Memory. For ages 5-21. The CELF–5 offers a more robust assessment of pragmatics using observations and interactive activities. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Connors’ Rating Scale

The Conners’ Rating Scales–Revised (CRS–R™), the Conners 3 has a greater focus on ADHD and associated features. The Conners 3 now also addresses comorbid disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Each parent, teacher and self-report form is available in a full-length and a short version. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Delis-Kaplan Executive Function Scale

The Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) is a neuropsychological test is used to measure a variety of verbal and nonverbal executive functions for both children and adults (ages 8 – 89 years). This assessment was developed over the span of a decade by Dean Delis, Edith Kaplan, and Joel Kramer, and it was published in 2001. The D-KEFS comprises nine tests that were designed to stand alone. Therefore, there are no aggregate measures or composite scores for an examinee’s performance. A vast majority of these tests are modified, pre-existing measures (e.g., the Trail Making Test), however, some of these measures are new indices of executive functions (e.g., Word Context Test). The D-KEFS can be distinguished from most other executive-function tests by its embrace of the “cognitive process approach” in which multiple measures are generated to isolate the mechanism of a patient’s poor score on a particular task. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)

The Gray Oral Reading Tests – 5 is a comprehensive measure of oral reading skills. Specifically, the test is designed to (a) to help identify those students who are significantly behind their peers in oral reading and determine the degree of the problem, (b) to discover oral reading strengths and weaknesses within individual student, (c) to monitor students’ progress in special intervention programs and (d) to be used in research studying reading in school-aged students. The examiner can analyze to pinpoint strengths and use the miscue analysis procedure to select intervention strategies using the GORT-5. The GORT-5 is considered a reliable and valid tool for this purpose. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

*Designed for learners 6.0 years to 23 years, 11 months.

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) is a clinical instrument (psychological diagnostic test) for assessing cognitive development. Its construction incorporates several recent developments in both psychological theory and statistical methodology. The test was developed by Alan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L. Kaufman in 1983 and revised in 2004. The test has been translated and adopted for many countries. The KABC also gives special attention to certain emerging testing needs, such as use with handicapped groups, application to problems of learning disabilities, and appropriateness for cultural and linguistic minorities. The authors rightly caution, however, that success in meeting these special needs must be judged through practical use over time. They also point out that the KABC should not be regarded as “the complete test battery”; like any other test, it should be supplemented and corroborated by other instruments to meet individual needs, such as theStanford-Binet, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, McCarthy scales, or neuropsychological tests. the Japanese version of the K-ABC by the Japanese psychologist including Tatsuya Matsubara, Kazuhiro Fujita, Hisao Maekawa, and Toshinori Ishikuma. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

The KTEA provides an individually administered measure of educational achievement for those aged 4 years 6 months – 25 years (comprehensive form) and 4 years 6 months – 90+ (brief form). The test can be used to identify an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in three key domains: maths, written language and spoken language. It can also be used as part of a comprehensive psychological, psychoeducational or neuropsychological test battery which can enhance understanding of the individuals total functioning. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

The Comprehensive Form consists of 14 subtests grouped into 4 domain composites, 4 reading-related composites, an overall Comprehensive Achievement Composite in addition to separate subtest scores.

The Brief Form is a curriculum-based instrument which provides norm-referenced assessment in the same three core achievement domains as the comprehensive form. There is no content overlap with the Comprehensive Form, it can be used for retesting and includes the following subtests:

Reading—word recognition and reading comprehension
Maths—computation and application problems
Written Expression—written language and spelling
The Brief Form provides a battery composite as well as subtest scores in reading, maths and spelling

Nelson-Denny Reading Test

The Nelson–Denny Reading Test was created in 1929 by M.S. Nelson and E.C. Denny, both of whom were on the faculty of Iowa State Teacher’s College. The purpose of the test is to measure reading ability among high school and college students. It is not appropriate for the clinical evaluation of reading disorders, however it may be used to identify students in need of remedial reading instruction. The Nelson–Denny includes two subtests (Vocabulary and Comprehension) both with multiple choice questions, and yields four scores. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial (RCFT)

Meaures visospatial ability and visuospatial memory in ages 6-89 years. RCFT captures five domains of neuropsychological functioning: visuospatial recall memory, visuospatial recognition memory, response bias, processing speed, and visuospatial constructional ability. The Recognition trial measures recognition memory for the elements of the Rey complex figure and assesses the respondent’s ability to use cues to retrieve information. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROFT)

The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) is a neuropsychological assessment in which examinees are asked to reproduce a complicated line drawing, first by copying it freehand (recognition), and then drawing from memory (recall). Many different cognitive abilities are needed for a correct performance, and the test therefore permits the evaluation of different functions, such as visuospatial abilities, memory, attention, planning, and working memory (executive functions). First proposed by Swiss psychologist André Rey in 1941 and further standardized by Paul-Alexandre Osterrieth in 1944, it is frequently used to further explain any secondary effect of brain injury in neurological patients, to test for the presence of dementia, or to study the degree of cognitive development in children. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)

The SATA measures the scholastic competence of persons from the ages of 16 through 70. The SATA’s aptitude and achievement components can provide an aptitude-achievement discrepancy analysis needed for LD placement. The SATA was normed on 1,005 persons residing in 17 states, and the sample is representative of the nation as a whole with regard to gender, race, ethnicity, urban/rural residence, and geographic region. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence (TONI)

The TONI-4, featuring new norms to help ensure proper representation of demographic changes in the U.S. population, offers you an assessment of intelligence, aptitude, abstract reasoning, and problem solving. This language-free test is ideal for evaluating those with questionable or limited language ability.
The administration and response format are pragmatic with simple oral instructions, requiring test-takers to answer with simple but meaningful gestures such as pointing, nodding, or blinking. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Wide Range Achievement Test

The Wide Range Achievement Test 4 (WRAT4) is an achievement test which measures an individual’s ability to read words, comprehend sentences, spell, and compute solutions to math problems. The test currently is in its fourth revision.[1] The test was developed in 1941 by psychologists Sidney W. Bijou and Joseph Jastak. The test is appropriate for individuals ages 5–94 years. The WRAT4 provides two equivalent forms (Blue and Green), which enables retesting within short periods of time without potential practice effects that occur from repeating the same items. The alternate forms also may be administered together in a single examination. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Language (WRAMAL)

The Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, Second Edition (WRAML2) is a standardized test that measures an individual’s memory functioning. It evaluates both immediate and delayed memory ability along with the acquisition of new learning.[1] The WRAML2 is normed for individuals ages 5–90 years. The WRAML2 is composed of two verbal, two visual, and two attention-concentration subtests, yielding a Verbal Memory Index, a Visual Memory Index, and an Attention-Concentration Index. Together, these subtests yield the General Memory Index.[1] The Working Memory Index consists of the Symbolic Working Memory and Verbal Working Memory subtests. In addition, there are four recognition subtests. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is a test designed to measure intelligence in adults and older adolescents.[1] It is currently in its fourth edition (WAIS-IV). The original WAIS (Form I) was published in February 1955 by David Wechsler, as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale that had been released in 1939.[2] The fourth edition of the test (WAIS-IV) was released in 2008 by Pearson. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), developed by David Wechsler, is an individually administered intelligence test for children between the ages of 6 and 16 inclusive that can be completed without reading or writing. The Fifth Edition (WISC-V) is the most current version. The WISC-V takes 48–65 minutes to administer and generates a Full Scale IQ (formerly known as an intelligence quotient or IQ score) which represents a child’s general intellectual ability. It also provides five primary index scores (i.e., Verbal Comprehension Index, Visual Spatial Index, Fluid Reasoning Index, Working Memory Index, and Processing Speed Index) that represent a child’s abilities in more discrete cognitive domains. Five ancillary composite scores can be derived from various combinations of primary or primary and secondary subtests. Five complementary subtests yield three complementary composite scores to measure related cognitive abilities relevant to assessment and identification of learning problems. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Woodcock Johnson Cognitive Abilities

The Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities include both the Standard Battery and the Extended Battery. The Standard Battery consists of tests 1 through 10 while the Extended Battery includes tests 11 through 20. There is also a Woodcock-Johnson III Diagnostic Supplement to the Tests of Cognitive Abilities with an additional 11 cognitive tests.[4] All of which combined allows for a considerably detailed analysis of cognitive abilities. The Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory factors that this test examines are based on 9 broad stratum abilities which are: Comprehension-Knowledge, Long-Term Retrieval, Visual-Spatial Thinking, Auditory Processing, Fluid Reasoning, Processing Speed, Short-Term Memory, Quantitative Knowledge and Reading-Writing.[4] A General Intellectual Ability (GIA) or Brief Intellectual Ability (BIA) may be obtained. The BIA score is derived from three cognitive tests which include Verbal Comprehension, Concept Formation, and Visual Matching. These three cognitive tests measure three abilities; Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc), Fluid Reasoning (Gf), and Processing Speed (Gs), which best represents an individual’s verbal ability, thinking ability, and efficiency in performing cognitive tasks. The BIA takes about 10 to 15 minutes to administer and is especially useful for screenings, re-evaluations that don’t require a comprehensive intellectual assessment, or research that needs a short but reliable measure of intelligence.[5] On the other hand, the GIA obtained from the WJ III Tests of Cognitive Abilities provide a more comprehensive assessment of general ability (g) and the score is based on a weighted combination of tests that best represents a common ability underlying all intellectual performance. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement

The WJ III NU Tests of Achievement has two parallel forms (A and B) that are divided into two batteries—Standard and Extended. The Standard Battery includes tests 1 through 12 that provide a broad set of scores. The 10 tests in the Extended Battery provide more in-depth diagnostic information on specific academic strengths and weaknesses. Examiners can administer the Standard Battery either alone or with the Extended Battery. The WJ III NU Tests of Achievement has two parallel forms (A and B) that are divided into two batteries—Standard and Extended. The Standard Battery includes tests 1 through 12 that provide a broad set of scores. The 10 tests in the Extended Battery provide more in-depth diagnostic information on specific academic strengths and weaknesses. Examiners can administer the Standard Battery either alone or with the Extended Battery.

Practitioners use the WJ III NU Tests of Achievement to help assess students for learning disabilities and to determine if they need special services. IDEA 2004 requires the use of a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant, functional, developmental, and academic information about the student. The WJ III NU Tests of Achievement include tests and clusters that directly parallel those outlined by IDEA and provide sound procedures for determining learning variances between abilities and achievement. This assessment tool may be used as part of the process for conducting educational evaluations.

By Laurie Gross, Educational Consultant and Reading Specialist.