Educational Assessments: Understanding Their Importance for Your Child
Posted on: 22 February 2021
If you are concerned about the academic progress of your child, you should consider planning for an educational assessment. This type of evaluation is designed to gauge the learning ability and academic capabilities of an individual. Usually, when a child is assessed, a specialist will look at both cognition and achievement. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the abilities of the young one. However, some aspects of the test might be varied for a more targeted competency evaluation. If you are not sure about the need for educational assessments, consider this brief discussion of their significance.
Identify a Special Strength
Knowing a special strength that a child might have in relation to academics is beneficial. In general, different individuals have varying strengths in learning, even when they are children. If you can identify the interest and the ability of your child in a certain area, you can help them develop better in that field. For instance, there are schools that offer accelerated classes for gifted students. Also, you will know if you should invest in extension activities for the child for the exceptional area.
Understanding Current Level
Educational assessments use special tools designed by psychologists to gauge the current academic level of a student. Simply speaking, there are certain standards which are expected for children of different ages. The psychometric tests which are used in the evaluation look at how well-versed a child is in reading, writing, speaking and mathematics. These are basic abilities that develop over time. Commissioning the test can help determine if a child is learning above or below the expected level for their age.
Identifying Learning Disorders
Learning disorders are not obvious. They can remain undetected until an individual becomes an adult. A lot of children struggle with learning challenges, and they cannot express their problem clearly. For example, dyslexia is a language-based disability that limits a person's ability to read and comprehend text. There is also a limitation on one's ability to spell and write. A less known condition involving mathematics is dyscalculia. This affects an individual's capability to comprehend mathematical concepts and numbers and solve pertinent problems. An educational assessment will detect these disabilities. This will provide an opportunity for you to take action and ensure that your child can learn in spite of the challenges.
Finally, educational assessments are crucial for developing customised plans for learning. Individualising the academic programs for children can help them learn with higher efficiency. Teachers and tutors can utilise the evaluation information for curriculum development.
Contact a medical health professional in your area to learn more about educational assessments.
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