Diagnostic Testing Class Paper Essay, Research Paper

Nicholas G.

B.D. 5-3-82

Eighth Grade

Examiner: Suzan Carter

Testing Dates:7-13-97, 7-19-97, 7-23-97

The purpose of this report is to give Mr. and Mrs. G., Nicholas G.?s parents, a more complete and up to date picture of Nick?s academic skill levels. Nick is a neighbor of the examiner, and both parents and examinee have cherrfully volunteered Nick as testing subjuect for the examiner?s Diagnostic Testing class. Nicholas has been in the Special Day Class Program, attending Santa Barbara public schools since kindergarten. Nicholas is developementally delayed and has mild cerebral palsy. Nick’s parents report that he has made good academic and social skills progress, especially in the past two years. Strong parental concern remains in the area of reading and independent life skills. Nick feels that he writes and cuts with extreme difficulty, hates reading, and enjoys math and computers. Nick attends several mainstream classes per semester with an aide’s help, and appears to have enjoyed the social aspects, but feels the classes were “really hard.” Nick’s mother reports that his hearing and vision have been checked within the past six months, with no apparent problems. Despite academic and motor frustrations, Nick’s school attendence has been excellent, as has been his general health.

Results of academic achievement testing:

Woodcock-Johnson Revised:

Age Grade Standard Percentile

Equiv. Equiv. Score

Letter-word Identification7-2 1.749 0.1

Word-Attack7-11.662 1.0

Basic Reading Skills7-21.652 0.1

Passage Comprehension7-31.751 0.1

Reading Vocabulary6-61.241 0.1

Broad Reading7-31.744 0.1 Dictation6-51.129 0.1

Spelling6-91.445 0.1

Writing Samples6-91.329 0.1

Broad Written Language6-81.331 0.1

Calculation6-91.328 0.1

Quantitative Concepts7-62.153 0.1

Applied Problems7-01.659 0.3

Broad Mathematics6-101.440 0.1

Visual-Motor Integration ( VMI) (normed on 12-2)

raw score8standard score5%ile1.0

Visual-Aural Digit Span (VADS)

Aural-Oral3Visual-Oral3Aural Written 2

Visual- Written 2Total VADS 10 (defective range, grade 4)

Nicholas appeared relaxed and eager to please while testing. Once in awhile he would say, ?this is hard,? but when given the option of stopping or going on he would consistently express a desire to continue. His parents report that this stubborn tenacity has carried him beyond expectations. Nick has a good sense of family, community, and social settings. When offered a cookie on a napkin, he put the napkin on his lap. Nick enjoyed talking between tests about friends, cars, computers, and other age-appropriate subjects. During the testing he concentrated very hard, took his time, and did not answer until he seemed quite sure of his answers. While in deep concentration, Nick?s head would temporarily stop the constant movement apparant with cerebral palsy. His mother stated that this recent ability to temporarily cease head movement has aided his reading progress.

READING: Test results show that Nick appears to be reading at a level comparable to that of an average student at the grade 1.7 level, which rank at the Very Low level. Reading tasks at the 1.4 level will be easy for Nick, those above grade 2.0 will be difficult for him. It is noted that on the word attack and Word Analysis Skills test, when decoding nonsense words Nick could decode CVC pattern words and has learned some basic sound-symbol associations. Comprehension tests show that Nicholas candetermine meaning from a passage (Passage Comprehension 1.7) at a slightly higher level than he can from a single word (Reading Vocabulary 1.2). While these scores are also in the Very Low range, they show that Nick is beginning to use some contextual clues in his reading.

WRITTEN LANGUAGE: Nick?s test results on Broad Written Language is comparable to that of the average student in grade 1.3, and in the Very Low range of scores. Tasks requiring written language skills below grade level 1.1 will be easy for him; those above the grade 1.4 will be difficult for him. Spelling Test observations (1.4) showed that Nick has difficulty with short vowel useage, the fine e rule, and consonant blends. An informal writing sample showed that Nick could use correct punctuation at the end of a sentence, but ignored punctuation marks within a sentence. The same sample showed that Nick?s writing is legible and that he forms most of his letters correctly, having difficulty with line placement . Nick interspersed cursive letters, and verbally expressed a desire to write in cursive like ?mainstream buddies? do. Nick uses simple sentence structures, writing one compound sentence out of 10 total sentences. Because of his orthopedic impairments, the written language tests were untimed.

MATHEMATICS: Nick?s Basic Mathematics Skills are in the Very Low range, in the mid first grade level (1.3). Regrouping skills were limited to two-digit problems in addition, and Nick could not ?remember” how to regroup in subtraction. Nick used his fingers to solve addition problems, and was proud to have memorized many basic multiplication facts. He did not demonstrate division. Nick tells time on a standard clock to the 1/2 hour, and correctly on his digital watch. In an informal observation, Nick was able to count bills correctly, and name, but not count, coins correctly. His parents reported that they were working on the ?dollar over? method of money handling with him. Nick does not solve story problems with money, time, fractions or measurement. As a life-skill, however, Nick showed the examiner while making cookies that he is able to relate fractional symbols to measurement.

Nick?s sense of humor and tenacity regarding task completion made him an inspiring test subject. Although the examiner was requested to test without benefit of prior scores, parents reported that scores showed very slow, but steady progress; typical of what they had seen in previous years. The examiner recpmmends continued and intensified work with computer skills, and a multi-sensory teaching approach with Nick, utilising as many hands-on experiences as possible. The examiner feels that Nick will continue to benefit from and enjoy his Special Day Class placement, continuing his learning at a steady pace.

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