School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory

School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI)

K. C. Stroud & C. R. Reynolds

Measure student learning strategies early and intervene proactively. Poor study skills, ineffective learning strategies, test anxiety--all of these things impede academic success. And they often go unrecognised until a student enters college and is placed in a remedial program.
With the new School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI), you can now measure the skills related to academic success early in a student’s school career. This allows you to address any weaknesses proactively--rather than waiting for repeated academic failures to determine that a student needs help

Designed for both special and general education students, this new self-report inventory assesses 10 primary constructs associated with academic motivation, learning strategies, and study habits--7 focusing on student strengths and 3 focusing on student liabilities:

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

Scores from these scales provide enough information to identify problems that interfere with academic development. An Inconsistent Responding index is also included as a validity measure.
The SMALSI is available in two 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. Both forms are written at a third-grade reading level and can be completed in about 20 to 30 minutes. And both use a 4-point response scale, ranging from “Never” to “Almost Always.” Scored by hand, Mail-In Answer Sheet, or computer, the SMALSI provides multiple scores, rather than one overall score. The unlimited-use scoring CD (W-398U-3) offers you an efficient and cost-effective way to screen large school populations. The SMALSI audio CD allows poor readers, who are often at risk for academic failure, to complete the SMALSI by listening to test items and then responding.
The SMALSI was standardized on a sample of 2,921 students--1,821 aged 8 to 12 years (Child Form) and 1,100 aged 13 to 18 years (Teen Form)--most from public schools. The sample reflects the U.S. population in terms of gender, ethnicity, and parental education.

Unlike many other learning measures, the SMALSI does not assess learning styles, preferences, or other process dimensions. Instead, it assesses the actual strategies students use in learning and test taking--strategies shown through research to be related to academic success. The SMALSI is a quick, cost-effective way to identify students who may have ineffective or poorly developed learning strategies, low levels of academic motivation, attention and concentration problems, difficulties with test taking, or test anxiety. It can be used for the following purposes:

• Screening in regular education
• Prereferral intervention
• Assessing students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, or ADHD

Based on more than 30 years of research, the SMALSI allows you to identify and directly target poor learning strategies. It is the tool that makes early intervention possible.

Age Range

Test material

Purpose:

Assess academic motivation, learning strategies, and study habits.

Administration:

Individuals or groups
20 to 30 minutes