SMALSISchool Motivation and Learning Strategies InventoryKathy Chatham Stroud, PhD, and Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD

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Help solve the problems of general education before they becomethe problems of special education.

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What Is the SMALSI?School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory

Standardized self-report inventory for ages 8 years to 18 years in two forms

- Child Form: ages 8–12

- Teen Form: ages 13–18

Designed to assess multiple constructs related to Study Strategies, Academic

Motivation, Test-Taking Strategies, and Test Anxiety

May be administered individually or in groups, large or small

Completed in 20–30 minutes by most students reading at grade level 3.5 or higher

(may be read to others)

Yields a profile of T-scores (M = 50, SD = 10) from which strengths and weaknesses

in specific areas can be determined and targeted for teaching if necessary

Unlimited-use of computer scoring or hand scoring available

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To assist us in making more children more-effective strategic learners who can demonstrate their knowledge and skills accurately

The Number One Goal of SMALSI Use?

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The SMALSI provides a quick, cost-effective way to identify and target poor learning strategies that affect academic performance

Benefits of Using the SMALSI

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Benefits of Using the SMALSI

Students who engage in strategic learning and test-taking perform at higher academic levels than those who do not

If you improve the study skills, learning strategies, reading comprehension, and test-taking behavior of students, their academic achievement will also improve

This is true at all grade levels, with both regular and special education students

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Benefits of Using the SMALSI

Until now, there has been no comprehensive instrument that measures these skills and strategies.

The SMALSI fills this void.

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Who Can Use the SMALSI?

School and related psychologists (e.g., child-clinical, pediatric)

School counselors and LPCs Educational Diagnosticians Learning Disability Specialists and Special Education

Teachers with assessment training Regular Education Teachers with a course in

classroom assessment or tests and measurementTo use the SMALSI appropriately, the user should have a background in education and learning

along with training in assessment or tests and measurement.

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SMALSI Student Strengths Subscales

Study Strategies Selecting important information; relating new to previously learned information; and memory strategies for encoding

Discriminating important material when taking notes; organizing notes; efficiency in note-taking

Previewing, monitoring, and reviewing texts, including self-testing to ensure understanding

Researching topics in a variety of ways; organizing writing projects as well as monitoring and self-checking for errors

Note-Taking/Listening Skills

Reading and Comprehension Strategies

Writing/Research Skills

Scale Definition

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SMALSI Student Strengths Subscales (continued)

Test-Taking Strategies

Increasing efficiency in test-taking, including eliminating unlikely answers and strategic guessing

Organizing class and study materials; structuring assignments, including homework and other projects

Effective use of time to complete assignments; understanding of time needed for academic tasks

Organizational Techniques

Time Management

Scale Definition

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SMALSI Student Liabilities Subscales

Low Academic Motivation Level of intrinsic motivation to engage and succeed in academic tasks

Student’s experience of debilitating symptoms of test anxiety; lower performance on tests due to excessive worry

Attending to lectures and other academic tasks; monitoring and adjusting attention to performance; concentrating and the avoidance of distractions

Test Anxiety

Concentration/AttentionDifficulties

Scale Definition

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Applications of the SMALSI

Screening in regular education- Identifying group weaknesses in a classroom or school- Identifying individuals with a lack of or poor developed strategies

for learning

Pre-referral intervention/prevention

Assessing students with disabilities- Learning disabilities- Emotional disturbance- ADHD- TBI

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The SMALSI targets primary constructs well-established in educational psychology and the general education literature

In research spanning three decades, these constructs have been linked to academic and educational success

After the SMALSI has identified deficiencies in these areas, remediation can begin

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We offer workshops that suggest specific remediation techniques for each construct measured by the SMALSI.

For more information contact:

WPSwww.wpspublish.com

800.648.8857