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 pro-actively--rather than waiting for repeated academic failures to determine that a student needs help

Assess 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

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

Screen individual in just 20 to 30 minutes

The SMALSI is available in two forms. The Child Form (147 items) is for students 8 - 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.

The SMALSI was standardised 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.

Identify and directly target learning strategies

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.

SMALSI College Form

For Academic Support at College Level

• Provide academic support for student athletes

• Screen incoming freshmen to identify weak learning skills

• Improve remedial and developmental programs

• Elevate student GPAs

• Raise graduation rates

The SMALSI College Form is one of the few standardized measures of learning strategies designed specifically for college students. And it's the only one with sound psychometrics, current normative data, and content that's consistent with the academic demands faced by college students today.

Strategies for Academic Success

by Kimberly J. Vannest, Ph.D., Kathryn Stroud, Ph.D., and Cecil R. Reynolds, Ph.D.

Whether you're a SMALSI user or not, this invaluable handbook will help you improve student learning strategies and, in turn, academic performance.

Research shows that for many learners study skills make the difference between success and failure. When academic development slows at fourth or fifth grade, it's usually because students do not know how to learn.

This handbook shows you how to identify deficient learning strategies and what to do about them. It presents clear, step-by-step instructional plans, all with examples. These interventions use direct instruction, the teaching model shown to promote the greatest change in student learning. They are "scripted" to insure easy implementation by both novice and experienced teachers.

You'll find strategies for improving study skills; writing and research; reading comprehension; note taking; listening; time management; organization; test-taking skills; test anxiety; attention and concentration; and motivation. Virtually everything you need to improve student performance is within the covers of this book--including supporting materials such as reproducibles, worksheets, sample tests, a daily calendar, and study plans.

If your students are underperforming, this handbook is your next step. It's included in the SMALSI Kits and available separately.