We provide a pedagogical assessment?

Learning Tools provides pedagogical assessments—learning-focused evaluations that are different from official educational testing. Rather than assigning a score or grade, a pedagogical assessment observes how students think, learn, and apply their skills.

How long does the assessment take and what does it cost?

The pedagogical assessment takes 90 minutes and costs $480.

What skills does the assessment evaluate?

The assessment includes reading, math, and writing components. While students may experience it as a “test,” it’s really an observation of how well they follow directions and demonstrate their abilities across these three areas.

What is the goal of this assessment?

The primary goal is to understand how your student thinks and learns, and to identify specific areas where they may be struggling. This insight helps guide personalized learning support.

Student and Facilitators  time:

• • Questionnaire rating strengths and abilities
  • Reading – San Diego Quick Assessment (SDQA)*
  • Reading aloud for 5-10 minutes at SDQA instructional level*
  • Comprehension questions*
  • Math – 2 equations for adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division*
  • Writing – 2-3 sentences, if the student writes in cursive in both print and cursive
  • Dominance evaluation – ie. left/right handedness, as well as  eye, ears, feet
  • Tossing of bean bags or other midline crossing activity
  • Balancing

* Adjustments are made for 5-7-year-old children in amounts/levels based on a conversation with parents.

Report to parent/student via email the following day:

• •  Written pedagogical assessment review including:
    • dominance profile
    • thinking style
    • SDQA results
    • motivation remarks
    • program recommendations (if a program is advised).

  • What happens during the assessment?

    During the 90-minute session, your student will work with a facilitator through a series of activities designed to observe their learning process. The facilitator begins by having your student complete a questionnaire that rates their strengths and abilities. This helps establish a baseline understanding of how your student perceives their own skills.

    What specific activities are included?

    The assessment includes three main skill areas:

    Reading: Your student will take the San Diego Quick Assessment (SDQA), which involves reading aloud for 5-10 minutes at their instructional level, followed by comprehension questions to assess understanding.

    Math: Your student will work through 2 equations in each of the four basic operations—adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division.

    Writing: Your student will write 2-3 sentences. If your student writes in cursive, they’ll demonstrate this in both print and cursive formats.

    Beyond academics, the facilitator will also conduct a dominance evaluation to determine left or right handedness, as well as eye, ear, and foot dominance. The session includes movement activities like tossing bean bags or similar midline crossing exercises, and a balancing assessment.

    Note: For children ages 5-7, adjustments are made to the amounts and levels of these activities based on a conversation with parents.

    What will I receive after the assessment?

    Within one business day, you’ll receive a written pedagogical assessment review via email. This report includes your student’s dominance profile, thinking style, SDQA results, motivation remarks, and program recommendations if a program is advised.

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• The Student will learn tools to focus and correct perception and disorientation will be taught.
• Student will learn how to master the basic symbols for reading and writing by creating the alphabet and abstract words using clay.
• The student will learn to master words that have previously given them troubles and have triggered disorientations.
• They will learn skills and exercises along the way to help them in their studies.
• The program is intensive, but fun, and presented in (typically) 5 consecutive days.
• Students resolve numerous confusions before the week’s end, allowing them to return to classroom the following week with new strategies and skills to better achieve academic success.
• Student will apply the skills at home based on activity schedule determined in Support Training.
• Students leave the program with the ability to focus attention at will, to regulate their energy, to recognize and eliminate disorientations as well as increased self-confidence and ability in reading, writing, or math.
• A typical program will provide for a significant improvement by the last day of the program.
• After the program the student will implement the tools into everyday life, as well as do Davis Symbol Mastery® follow-up on trigger words, which is necessary to ensure continued success with the program.

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Comparison of other dyslexia programs with Davis (data from 2014):

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However, the book The Gift of Dyslexia contains enough basic information about the Davis approach, and the theory behind it, to enable parents, tutors, or teachers to begin working with students on their own.

A dyslexic teenager or adult cannot work entirely by themselves to use the methods explained by the book, but they may be able to work successfully with the help of a friend or family member.

Some people have experienced success just from following the steps laid out in the book. The degree of success varies depending on the abilities and level of motivation of the students and their helpers.

*Used with permission from Dyslexia the Gift website, www.Dyslexia.com © 1995-2006 Davis Dyslexia Association International Reprinted with Permission

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Follow-up support is also included as part of the program and consists of a Student Symbol Mastery Kit, Support Training for client helper(s), telephone consultations, and up to three two-hour return visits, as needed. The student will need less and less help along the way, as the new skills gradually become independent tools.

For the reading program, the client should master the entire list of 217 trigger words. The math program has 35 math story problem trigger words to complete while the attention program clay modeling is done around behaviors desired to be worked with. All clay and support work can be completed over several months or longer depending on the motivation and goals of the student and availability of support persons.

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The first step is to schedule an initial consultation. There will be an assessment done at this time to determine if a Davis Program would be a good fit.

The assessment looks at the following:

1. ability to perceive multi-dimensionally
2. skills & abilities – challenges & strengths
3. goals
4. level of motivation, and
5. the appropriateness of the program for the client

The client’s program can then be custom-designed using the information gained from this assessment. The initial consultation lasts approximately 1.5-2 hours and costs $300.

To make your appointment for an initial consultation/assessment, call 206.451.7102.

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