Skills Assessment Tests: Which Essential Academic Skills Are Your Strengths vs Gaps?
Students are given assessments in school. These assessments, typically a quiz or test, measure the mastery of the content being presented. A Skills Assessment is a structured comparison showing skills beyond letter grades and a specific grade-level concept. It shows what a student’s strengths and hidden gaps are. Identifying these early in middle school allows time to grow the essential skills needed for their future and gives them key strategies to improve.
What Does a Skills Assessment Test Measure?
A Skills Assessment Test will measure a student’s academic skills across multiple domains (reading, writing, language, comprehension) and grade-level benchmarks. Because students have different learning styles, the goal of the assessment is to see a student’s proficiency or where they need targeted growth.
Students are assessed on decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, reading, grammar, sentence structure and writing fluency and comprehension. When selecting a test, choose one that gives clear feedback/reporting and is aligned with the middle school years.
How To Interpret Assessment Results
Remind your student that a gap is not a failure. This is just an area to work on and grow in. Being strong in a category does not mean they are perfect. Group the results from the assessment into the following domains to create a plan of action.
- Decoding and basic reading fluency
- Comprehension and vocabulary
- Writing and written expression
- Reading stamina and engagement
Work on gaps intentionally for 4-6 weeks using online programs and resources, along with speaking with your child’s teachers to receive classroom and schoolwork observations that backs up the data shown as well as help with the plan.
By identifying and fixing gaps now, students will have bigger struggles prevented in high school and beyond. Showing them good study habits in middle school leads to students being more prepared for future classes, giving them consistency and stability to be academically successful.