Grade 7

SHOULD APTITUDE BE TESTED IN GRADE 7?

Yes, it is important to start aptitude and interest tests as early as Grade 7.

It is important to note that Primary School standards differ. Students that might achieve a Math average of 50% in school X, could for example achieve a Math average of 70% in school Y.   This happens because Primary Schools adapt their standards to suit the average learner profile of their surrounding community. Varying marks and averages can also be the result of a child’s interest peaking in a subject due to heightened performance, or even the influence of a specific teacher presenting said subject.  Grade 7 testing is therefore done for the following reasons:

• It gives an accurate representation of a child’s academic capabilities without taking the standard of the school into account.
• It gives an indication of what the child’s true interests are without the looming influence of school achievements or influential teachers.

Advantages of group online aptitude testing

It is cheaper and more practical

The Differential Aptitude Form S that is designed for higher academic and socio-economic groups, has been specifically designed to be taken in group settings or in an online format. It also gives a clearer indication of how a child functions independently.

It is only in extreme cases where individual testing or assistance from a psychologist would be necessitated. Examples of such cases would be IQ testing, personality tests, emotional evaluations or support, the application of study methods, applications for extra time or learning problems, to name but a few.

What gets tested in Grade 7?

Aptitude

The APTITUDE TEST that is introduced is the full Differential Aptitude Test Form S (DAT S). This is a cornerstone test that reflects an accurate representation of a child’s academic capabilities  in the following categories:

• Language (vocabulary and reading comprehension)
• Numeric (mathematical capabilities)
• Spatial Ability ( visualization and technical insight)
• Work tempo (will give an indication if extra time is needed during exams or tests)
• Mechanical Ability (technical insight)
• Memory (important indications for mastering study subjects)
• Logical Reasoning (Verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Gives an indication of overall IQ.)
• A score of less than 5 for any of the abovementioned skills may indicate future challenges in said department. A score of 7 or higher on the other hand, indicates favorable results in said areas in future.

These scores can also indicate if a child is more technically or academically inclined so that the correct school and subject choices (if available) can be made in Grade 8.

It is important that parents gain a greater understanding, as early as Grade 7, of whether their child’s skills and competency in these categories are sufficient.  If not, there is still enough time to work on and improve their skills before final choices need to be made regarding subject fields in Grade 10.  Should a child, for instance, indicate a below-average result in mathematical skills, Edu-Integral with afford the child the opportunity to do a short additional diagnostics test with the aim of assisting the child in with growth and development.

Interests

Interest tests are very important to gain insights that will later  assist students with their Grade 10 subject choices. These tests also allows instructors to take a child’s entire history into account before making recommendations for grade 10 to 12 subject choices.

If is child is only tested for subject choices in Grade 9, the instructor (without Grade 7 evaluations) has no idea if a child’s interests might have been influenced by a teacher, test result or even a recent experience, as apposed to a true interest. During the  Grade 7 testing process a child’s interests are relatively untouched by external influences such as financial or social statuses and test results.

These two evaluations (Grade 7 and 9) also indicate how constant or erratic a child’s interests have been over a period of time. Should the results of the Grade 9 evaluation indicate that a child’s interests have changed drastically since Grade 7, the instructor might advise that subjects be selected in various fields of study to allow for any future growth or development in the child’s interests.

Should the instructor, however, find that the child’s interests have stayed relatively constant across the two years (Grade 7 to Grade 9), he/she can with confidence recommend more specific career orientated  subject selections as it is unlikely that the child’s interests will change in the years to come. This becomes prevalent when decisions need to be made surrounding subjects like Science and Accounting at a later stage.

The Grade 7 evaluations also helps the child to gain finality and insight during Grade 11 or Grade 12 when they have to choose between two prominent career possibilities.

The following fields of interests have been presented (in order of preference):

• Technical (handiwork)
• Scientific( mathematics, physical science, biology)
• Social (people and/or animals)
• Enterprising (business)
• Arts
• Data manipulation (numbers / computers)

The abovementioned fields of study are evaluated in greater detail during the Grade 9 evaluation.

Will I receive a report?

An experienced psychologist will personally work with every child and their portfolio.

After psychometric testing a report will be drafted with the results. The report can be delivered via e-mail or a printed copy can be collected at the school where testing was facilitated.  The report will not be very detailed as the child will (at this stage) not have to make any subject or career decisions. Parents should also guard against forcing or steering their child towards a certain career at this stage, as there is still a lot of development that will take place between Grade 7 and Grade 10.

The Grade 7 results will, however, be very valuable when a child has to choose subjects in Grade 9.

Should a psychologist that has been working with a Grade 7 profile, notice any inconsistencies or ‘red flags’, it will be brought to the attention of the parents along with the necessary referrals and/or recommendations.

Should a child be attending a school where subjects need to be chosen in Grade 8, the psychologist will also make recommendations based on the child’s profile.

The results and information resulting from evaluation is highly confidential and will only be made available to the child or his/her parents. Parents can upon written request, indicate that the information should be delivered to an independent psychologists or instructor for further individual evaluation and instruction.

Consultation with the psychologist?

A written report will be delivered. Should problem areas arise in the child’s profile, the psychologist will contact the child’s parents telephonically to discuss recommendations and referrals.  After the report was received, parents are entitled to request consultation with the psychologist to discuss the information or clear up any uncertainties.

Should further evaluation be required, it will be directly arranged with the psychologist or teacher. The psychologist’s consultation fee is then payable as per the guidelines of the RGBSA.

What do I do if my child has already been diagnosed with a learning disability?

It is suggested that the child is still tested with the group as it gives an idea of the child’s actual skills and capabilities. Parents can request that a psychologist observe the child during testing to establish an opinion about the child’s testing behavior.

The results from these evaluations can be used to apply for special permissions or concessions. This process will have to be further facilitated by the parents and does not form part of the fee payable for our services.