School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI)

Provides a quick, cost-effective way to identify and target poor learning
strategies that affect academic performance.

Poor study skills, ineffective learning strategies, test anxiety--all these things impede academic success. With the new SMALSI you can now measure the
skills related to academic success early in a student's school career, enabling
you to proactively address weaknesses.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.

Designed for both special and general education students, this self-report inventory assesses 10 primary constructs associated with academic motivation, learning strategies, and studies--7 focusing on student strengths and 3 focusing on student liabilities.
SMALSI Construct Focus on Strengths and Weaknesses

SMALSI Construct Focus on Strengths and Weaknesses

Scores from the SMALSI scales provide enough information to identify problems that interfere with academic development. An Inconsistent Responding Index is included as a validity measure.

The SMALSI is available in two forms: the Child Form (147 items) is appropriate
for students ages 8-12 years; the Teen Form (170 items) is appropriate for students ages 13-18 years. Both forms are written at a 3rd-grade reading level and can be completed in about 20-30 minutes. Both forms use a 4-point response scale, ranging from "Never" to "Almost Always."

Scored by hand or computer, the SMALSI provides multiple scores, rather than
one overall score. The SMALSI was standardized on a sample of 2,921 students (1,821 aged 8-12 years for the Child Form, and 1,100 aged 13-18 years for the Teen Form). The sample reflects the U.S. population in terms of gender, ethnicity, and parental education.

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 screening in regular education, pre-referral intervention, and for assessing students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, or ADHD.

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