Assessments
"The Langsford team was a wonderful experience for Isabel and me. She felt comfortable coming in for both set of tests. She was quickly put at ease and enjoyed the experience. The results and follow-up review with me were excellent. The small recommendations on little things to boost Isabel's performance and giving her more focused practice worked. Overall, she benefited from getting the extra attention as well." Jane, daughter 10.
Early Reader Screening ($100)
Research from the National Institutes of Health indicates that reading difficulties are most easily addressed in the primary grades. The earlier a child is identified as at-risk, the more likely the child is to become an independent reader. Since it may be difficult for teachers and parents to pick up on the early warning signs, a screening can be a helpful tool.
An early reader screening is like a wellness visit to a doctor. It can help identify problems before they are apparent in school. Just as a vision screening will flag eye problems but not diagnose them, an early reader screening is designed to flag children with the potential for reading difficulties. It will not determine if a child is learning disabled or dyslexic. Alone, it does not provide enough information to develop a plan of action for a child. But with the screening results, teacher feedback, and parent observations, a family can begin to formulate a plan to address concerns. It is important to remember that a screening is a beginning step to help a child with reading difficulties.
A Langsford Early Reader Screening looks at the foundational skills necessary to become a reader. Specifically, it measures phonological awareness, which is a person's sensitivity to the spoken sounds of language. The process takes twenty to thirty minutes and parents are given scores and recommendations during their visit. This screening is designed for children in kindergarten through the first half of second grade. The measurements we have chosen are best suited for children in those grades.
Diagnostic Evaluation ($350)
A Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers' diagnostic evaluation looks in-depth at the brain processes necessary for academic success. Often, parents feel they have a good grasp of their child’s problems and do not understand why this type of evaluation would be necessary. The answer is simple: an assessment tells us significantly more than where to start work with a client. Assessment results help us map out a specific plan for the client with a clear timeframe and expected outcomes.
A typical Langsford Learning Acceleration Center diagnostic evaluation takes on average, with breaks, about 3-4 hours to administer and measures all the key areas that we address: reading and spelling, language comprehension, visual-motor processing, and mathematics.
Specific areas measured may include:
• Phonemic/phonological awareness
• Phonics
• Phonological memory
• Rapid automatic naming (speed of retrieval)
• Word attack (ability to sound out unfamiliar words)
• Word identification
• Spelling
• Contextual reading accuracy and rate (fluency)
• Oral reading comprehension
• Silent reading comprehension
• Listening comprehension
• Receptive vocabulary
• Expressive vocabulary
•Short-term memory
• Visual-motor processing
• Math computation
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Standard Educational Evaluation ($550)
A Standard Educational Evaluation includes all the components of an Admissions Test, plus a written report. This can be helpful for clients who want to share testing results with a private tutor, school, or other professional.
Full Educational Evaluation ($750)
A Full Educational Evaluation includes all the components of a Standard Educational Evaluation, plus a full math evaluation. The math evaluation includes measurements of basic math concepts (numeration, rational numbers, geometry), operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, mental computation), and applications (measurement, time and money, estimation, interpreting data, and problem solving). This evaluation is typically administered over two days.
Authentic Evaluation ($350)
Sometimes, it is difficult to obtain an accurate measurement of a client’s processes through standardized assessment. This is often the case when a client has low-level language skills or other communication difficulties. In those instances, it can be more appropriate to conduct an Authentic Evaluation. The Authentic Evaluation is a qualitative tool intended to yield information about a potential client’s general ability to communicate and interact in a session like format. It is essentially an Admissions Testing in which we use informal (non-standardized) measurements.
Evaluation items are grouped under two sections: language and comprehension. The specific tools used vary from client to client. The examiner notes observations about the client’s ease of interaction, verbalization ability, and complicating factors.
Language items include activities such as:
• naming colors and objects
• counting up to 20 items
• language concepts involving direction (e.g., right/left)
• comparative measurement (e.g., big/little, more/less)
• position (e.g., front/back, open/closed)
• following directions
• description of characteristics/movements of given items
• description of pictures
Comprehension items include:
• story description with a panel of related pictures
• sequencing a series of related pictures
• relating a personal story or a movie seen
• listening/reading aloud followed by identification of main idea and recall questions
• description of characteristics/movements of given items
• description of pictures
Comprehension items include:
• story description with a panel of related pictures
• sequencing a series of related pictures
• relating a personal story or a movie seen
• listening/reading aloud followed by identification of main idea and recall questions
• verbal absurdities
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Assessment of Progress (Included in Enrollment Fee)
After clients complete their individualized plan of action, Langsford Learning Acceleration Center administers an Assessment of Progress. Typically, this assessment measures any areas that were weak on the initial assessment. It allows Langsford to measure gains and identify areas that need further work. Additionally, parents often find it helpful to share the results of an Assessment of Progress with teachers and other professionals as an updated measurement of the client’s skills.
One reason our clients are so successful is because of the feedback we receive each time an Assessment of Progress is conducted. Over time, we have made adjustments to our offerings as we have continued to learn more about the effectiveness of our customized plans of action.
Results from Assessments of Progress drive our work. It provides feedback for us as we continually monitor the work we do. As we strive to provide the best service to our clients, evaluating results help us to verify what is working well and where we can improve.
Follow-Up Assessment
Langsford Learning Acceleration Center also offers a follow-up evaluation, at a reduced fee, for clients 6 - 12 months after completing their plan of action. These follow-up evaluations help gauge the current level of ability as well as progress made since ending sessions. If the assessment shows any instability or new areas of concern, clients can return to Langsford Learning for additional learning sessions focused in those areas.
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Learning abilities acquired here are internalized. A typical student leaves with intact learning processes, without the need for continued intervention or content tutoring.
"Thanks again for your contribution to my child's success story! At each grading period of my daughter's school career, my thoughts go to Langsford... She was able to achieve a 4.14 GPA this quarter in her Freshman year... For a child who wasn't really reading until 3rd grade, this is a success story! She is reaching her potential and it is a joy to watch!" Lynn, Parent & Public School Educator
"...There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the great outcome (my son) has had from his time there. It has changed his life in so many ways. He is turning 17 Saturday and he is inviting about 11 kids over for a "Risk" tournament. Several new friends are on the list from school. It has helped him academically as well. He got all A's this quarter and is so confident now. ... Hope the word (about Langsford) continues to get out." Marilyn
"The only place in town that does what you do!" Paula, daughter age 8, son 9.
"My son didn't need content tutoring, he needed to develop his reading skills. Thank You! Mary, son 10
"the programs make a life-altering difference...does not just address reading and language comprehension but overall (brain) functioning” - Ellen, son age 20
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