SMALSI
School Motivation and Learning
Strategies Inventory
Kathy Chatham Stroud, PhD,
and Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD
Help solve the problems of
general education before they become
the problems of special education.
2
3
What Is the SMALSI?
School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory

Standardized self-report inventory for ages 8 years to 18 years in two forms
-
Child Form: ages 8–12
-
Teen Form: ages 13–18

Designed to assess multiple constructs related to Study Strategies, Academic
Motivation, Test-Taking Strategies, and Test Anxiety

May be administered individually or in groups, large or small

Completed in 20–30 minutes by most students reading at grade level 3.5 or higher
(may be read to others)

Yields a profile of T-scores (M = 50, SD = 10) from which strengths and weaknesses
in specific areas can be determined and targeted for teaching if necessary

Unlimited-use of computer scoring or hand scoring available
4
The Number One Goal of SMALSI Use?
 To assist us in making more children more-effective
strategic learners who can demonstrate their
knowledge and skills accurately
5
Benefits of Using the SMALSI
 The SMALSI provides a quick, cost-effective way to
identify and target poor learning strategies that affect
academic performance
6
Benefits of Using the SMALSI
 Students who engage in strategic learning and testtaking perform at higher academic levels than those
who do not
 If you improve the study skills, learning strategies,
reading comprehension, and test-taking behavior of
students, their academic achievement will also improve
 This is true at all grade levels, with both regular and
special education students
7
Benefits of Using the SMALSI
Until now, there has been no comprehensive instrument
that measures these skills and strategies.
The SMALSI fills this void.
8
Who Can Use the SMALSI?
 School and related psychologists (e.g., child-clinical, pediatric)
 School counselors and LPCs
 Educational Diagnosticians
 Learning Disability Specialists and Special Education Teachers
with assessment training
 Regular Education Teachers with a course in classroom
assessment or tests and measurement
To use the SMALSI appropriately, the user should have a background in education and learning along with training in
assessment or tests and measurement.
9
SMALSI Student Strengths Subscales
Scale
Definition
Study Strategies

Selecting important information; relating new to
previously learned information; and memory
strategies for encoding
Note-Taking/
Listening Skills

Discriminating important material when taking
notes; organizing notes; efficiency in notetaking
Reading and
Comprehension Strategies

Previewing, monitoring, and reviewing texts,
including self-testing to ensure understanding

Researching topics in a variety of ways;
organizing writing projects as well as
monitoring and self-checking for errors
Writing/Research
Skills
10
SMALSI Student Strengths Subscales (continued)
Scale
Definition
Test-Taking
Strategies

Increasing efficiency in test-taking, including
eliminating unlikely answers and strategic
guessing
Organizational Techniques

Organizing class and study materials;
structuring assignments, including homework
and other projects
Time Management

Effective use of time to complete assignments;
understanding of time needed for academic
tasks
11
SMALSI Student Liabilities Subscales
Scale
Definition
Low Academic Motivation

Level of intrinsic motivation to engage and
succeed in academic tasks
Test Anxiety

Student’s experience of debilitating symptoms
of test anxiety; lower performance on tests due
to excessive worry
Concentration/Attention
Difficulties

Attending to lectures and other academic
tasks; monitoring and adjusting attention to
performance; concentrating and the avoidance
of distractions
12
Applications of the SMALSI
 Screening in regular education
- Identifying group weaknesses in a classroom or school
- Identifying individuals with a lack of or poor developed
strategies for learning
 Pre-referral intervention/prevention
 Assessing students with disabilities
- Learning disabilities
- Emotional disturbance
- ADHD
- TBI
13
 The SMALSI targets primary constructs wellestablished in educational psychology and the general
education literature
 In research spanning three decades, these constructs
have been linked to academic and educational success
 After the SMALSI has identified deficiencies in these
areas, remediation can begin
14
We offer workshops that suggest
specific remediation techniques for
each construct measured by the
SMALSI.
15
For more information contact:
WPS
www.wpspublish.com
800.648.8857