Information-
Measures long term memory, child
is asked information questions like how many cents are in dime; things
that most kids are exposed to, and checks if they can recall them.
Kids who cannot retain information are going
to have to review work more often or it will evaporate. And they'll need
to study for tests, instead of just walking in and whipping out a written
tests as do their friends. They need to use aids to recall information,
such as studying with graphic patterns, boxes and circles and triangles
grouping data according to how it fits into the topic. Grid/calc for times
tables in grades 4-7, the longest and most boring single piece of memory
work.
Similarities-
Measures logical/abstract reasoning.
Child has to tell similarities between 2 things, some concrete such as
(dog/rat) and some abstract (beautiful, ugly).
These children have trouble with concepts in
any subject. You see it right away in grade 2 when doing place value for
regrouping. Explaining moving a group of 10 leaves them with a blank stare.
And doing intergers (negative numbers) in grade 7---forget it. But they
can learn the operations even if the concept is missing, by teaching the
procedure. Same in language arts, inferences and generalizations will be
hard, but plot development and themes and characterizations will be OK.
So they have to be walked through inferential work.
Arithmetic-
Measures math reasoning. Child does
oral problem solving.
These kids of course have trouble with problem
solving. You ask a grad 2 or grade 3 kid--"if the farmer sold 5 cows
for $100.00 each, how much money did he make? And the kid looks at you
and says,"do ya add or subtract?" They don't have a clue. And
the heartbreak is, problem solving is the only reason to teach math! The
only way to really help these kids seems to be to use flow charts to organize
the known from the unknown.
Vocabulary-
Measures expressive vocabulary.
Child is asked for definitions of words.
Their work appears immature and bief, as though
a younger kid did it, and some teachers want to hand it back to be redone.
But the teachers have to know that they should accept it even if it looks
like this, if the child has made a good effort. The kids need help thinking
of ways to say things, and the new game Taboo is great for that.
Comprehension-
Measures knowledge of appropriate
social behavior and judgement. Child is asked what he would do in certain
situations, like "What would you do if you came upon a child lying
hurt in the street,"; and why certain things are so.
These children are the ones who are always
in trouble for doing the wrong thing, like fighting, because they aren't
good at social situations. Or they are "nerds" because they can't
learn the cool behavior. They need help dealing with situations, and we
find they need an example of how to handle every type of situation, because
they don't generalize. The fighters need to be taught how to stay out of
trouble. For instance, it is better to call someone a name than to throw
a punch.The "nerds" need to learn what to say when a certain
thing happens so they don't sound goofy.
