The subtests
LASS 11-15 comprises 8 subtests: 3 attainment tests, 1 ability test and 4 diagnostic tests.
|
TEST |
CATEGORY |
TYPE |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Sentence Reading |
Attainment |
Adaptive |
Cloze reading — completing sentences by identifying the missing word from a choice of five alternatives. No spoken assistance is given. |
|
Single Word Reading |
Attainment |
Progressive |
Reading individual words out of context — identifying from a choice of five alternatives the printed word that corresponds to a spoken word. |
|
Spelling |
Attainment |
Adaptive |
Spelling individual real words that are spoken by the computer. |
|
Reasoning |
Ability |
Adaptive |
Non-verbal intelligence — analogical reasoning where the correct item from a choice of six alternatives has to be selected in order to complete a spatial matrix. |
|
Mobile |
Diagnostic |
Progressive |
Auditory sequential memory (digit span) — recall of between two and nine digits in correct (forwards) sequential order. |
|
Cave |
Diagnostic |
Progressive |
Visual memory — immediate recall of objects and their spatial positions, beginning with two items and progressing to seven items. |
|
Nonwords |
Diagnostic |
Progressive |
Reading individual nonwords — a pure measure of phonic decoding skills. For each nonword there is a choice from four spoken alternatives. |
|
Segments |
Diagnostic |
Progressive |
Phonological processing ability — segmentation and deletion of syllables and phonemes in real words. For each item there is a choice from four spoken alternatives. |
Adaptive testing
In the adaptive subtests, the program first gives the students a series of ‘probe’ items to determine the range of optimal item sensitivity for that student. These are followed by a series of test items starting in the range of optimal item sensitivity and increasing in difficulty until the student’s current attainment or ability level has been exceeded beyond reasonable statistical error, whereupon the test ceases. The program incorporates a facility to regress to easier items should it transpire that, by chance, the result of the probe items has overestimated the student’s approximate ability or current attainment level.