(SMALSI – Child) School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory

BY KATHY CHATHAM STROUD, PHD, AND CECIL R. REYNOLDS, PHD

Identify and Target Weak Learning Strategies

Poor study skills, ineffective learning strategies, test anxiety—all of these things impede academic performance. The School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI) lets you identify and address these and other problems before students become discouraged, fail classes, or drop out of school.

The SMALSI assesses 10 primary constructs consistently associated with academic motivation, learning strategies, and study habits: 

• Study Strategies
• Note-Taking/Listening Skills
• Reading/Comprehension Strategies
• Writing/Research Skills
• Test-Taking Strategies
• Organizational Techniques
• Time Management
• Academic Motivation
• Test Anxiety
• Concentration/Attention

Scores from these scales pinpoint problems that interfere with academic performance.

Screen Individuals or Groups in Just 20 to 30 Minutes

The SMALSI is available in three forms. The Child Form (147 items) is for students 8 through 12 years of age; the Teen Form (170 items) is for 13- to 18-year-olds; and the new College Form (164 items) is for college students at all levels. Written at a third-grade reading level and completed in 20 to 30 minutes, all forms use a 4-point response scale, ranging from “Never” to “Almost Always.” The Child and Teen Forms can be administered using an audio CD that allows poor readers, who are often at risk for academic failure, to hear rather than read test items. These forms also offer an unlimited-use scoring CD for efficient, cost-effective screening of large school populations.    

Prevent Academic Failure

Unlike many other measures, the SMALSI does not focus on learning styles or preferences. Instead, it assesses the strategies that students actively use in learning and test-taking—strategies repeatedly shown to affect academic performance. This practical, specific focus makes the SMALSI ideal for both routine school-wide screening and targeted assessment of students with ADHD, learning disabilities, low motivation, or emotional problems. Based on more than 30 years of research, the SMALSI allows you to identify and directly target poor learning strategies. It makes early intervention possible, and it gives students at all levels a better shot at academic success. Print and online formats allow you to select the option that best fits your needs.

Save Time and Achieve More With Online Evaluation

The SMALSI is now available through the WPS Online Evaluation System (platform.wpspublish.com). It offers you the flexibility you need to administer, score, and share results locally and remotely. It’s easy to communicate valuable test information with Teachers, Parents, and others involved in supporting the child’s academic success. In addition, the organization feature lets you efficiently share uses and other resources with colleagues.

Also Available

Strategies for Academic Success

School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory–College (SMALSI College)

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