Getting started at Hyperion- Part 2

After the initial consultation, the next step is for your child to complete an assessment.  A parent told me recently that she felt there was something underlying impacting her child’s learning that had yet to be discovered.  The frustrated child had little confidence and was struggling to keep up in school.  Uncovering the root of the struggle is why we do an assessment before tutoring starts.  Ultimately, the goal of the assessment is to identify the areas in which your child is struggling.  This then tells us how best to support academic growth.  Testing will also find the areas in which a student is excelling to identify areas of strength! 
The assessment actually provides the answer to several questions including:

• Why is my student struggling to _______?  (read, write, complete math problems…)
• Are my child’s academic skills at grade level?
• Does my child need a tutor?
• How will the tutor know exactly what my child needs to work on?
• How will we know if my child is making progress with tutoring?
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Before testing, we will talk with you about your child’s early development and school history.  Next we review your child’s school records and can even talk with the classroom teacher(s) if you would like.  Then we choose specific assessment tools that will uncover areas of strength and areas of challenge.

The assessment tools we use are a combination of standardized and non-standardized assessments.  A standardized assessment is one that when scored compares your child to their peers. The same questions get asked in the same way every time it is given. During the design of the test, many students take it and then it  is statistically analyzed.   With these tests you will know if your child is performing at, below, or above age expectations for each skill. Non standardized tests are not analyzed in the same way.  There is often more flexibility in the administration. Performance on non standardized tests gives information that is helpful for planning instruction.  

After the child completes the tests, the examiner analyzes the results. Patterns of strength and challenge are identified .  This information determines what should be targeted in tutoring and in what order.  We use this information to create a targeted tutoring plan for your child.  Because of the baseline data we now have, we can ensure that instruction is systematic and directly targeting key areas.

After analysis, you will be given a complete assessment report.  The report details each test given, your child’s scores, a summary of performance, and recommendations for programming.  You can share the report with your child’s school, pediatrician, or any other professionals involved in your child’s care.

The initial assessment also helps us to track your child’s progress in tutoring by giving us comprehensive starting data.  The majority of standardized assessments can be administered on a yearly basis.  This means that comparisons can be made between pre-tutoring and post-tutoring administrations.  One of the benefits of non standardized measures is that they can be given more often to check progress.  Also, at Hyperion Language and Learning Services we keep careful data during tutoring sessions to be able to track and report on progress frequently.

Contact us today if you are interested in talking to us about how we might be able to uncover the secret to your child's academic success!