SCALE ALPHA. FOR MEASURING THE UNDERSTANDING OF SENTENCES

Write your name here...............................
Write your age.............years............months.
SET a
Read this and then write the answers. Read it again as often as you need
to.
John had two brothers who were both tall. Their names were Will and
Fred. John's sister, who was short, was named Mary. John liked Fred better
than either of the others. All of these children except Will had red hair.
He had brown hair.
1. Was John's sister tall or short?.....................
2. How many brothers had John?..........................
3. What was his sister's name?..........................
SET b
Read this and then write the answers. Read it again as often as you need
to.
Long after the sun had set, Tom was still waiting for Jim and Dick to
come. "If they do not come before nine o'clock," he said to himself, "I
will go on to Boston alone." At half past eight they came bringing two
other boys with them. Tom was very glad to see them and gave each of them
one of the apples he had kept. They ate these and he ate one too. Then all
went on down the road.
1. When did Jim and Dick come?...................................
2. What did they do after eating the apples?.....................
3. Who else came besides Jim and Dick?...........................
4. How long did Tom say he would wait for them?..................
5. What happened after the boys ate the apples?..................
Read this and then write the answers. Read it again as often as you need
to.
It may seem at first thought that every boy and girl who goes to school
ought to do all the work that the teacher wishes done. But sometimes other
duties prevent even the best boy or girl from doing so. If a boy's or
girl's father died and he had to work afternoons and evenings to earn money
to help his mother, such might be the case. A good girl might let her
lessons go undone in order to help her mother by taking care of the
baby.
1. What are some conditions that might make even the best boy leave
school work unfinished?............................................
...................................................................
2. What might a boy do in the evenings to help his family?.........
3. How could a girl be of use to her mother?.......................
4. Look at these words: idle, tribe, inch, it, ice, ivy, tide, true,
tip, top, tit, tat, toe.
Cross out every one of them that has an i and has not any
t (T) in it.
SET d
Read this and then write the answers. Read it again as often as you need
to.
It may seem at first thought that every boy and girl who goes to school
ought to do all the work that the teacher wishes done. But sometimes other
duties prevent even the best boy or girl from doing so. If a boy's or
girl's father died and he had to work afternoons and evenings to earn money
to help his mother, such might be the case. A good girl might let her
lessons go undone in order to help her mother by taking care of the
baby.
1. What is it that might seem at first thought to be true, but really is
false?
..........................................................................
2. What might be the effect of his father's death upon the way a boy
spent his time?
.................................................................
3. Who is mentioned in the paragraph as the person who desires to have
all lessons completely done?..............................................
..........................................................................
4. In these two lines draw a line under every 5 that comes just after a 2,
unless the 2 comes just after a 9. If that is the case, draw a line under
the next figure after the 5:
5 3 6 2 5 4 1 7 4 2 5 7 6 5 4 9 2 5 3 8 6 1 2 5 4 7 3 5 2 3 9 2 5 8 4 7 9 2 5 6
1 2 5 7 4 8 5 6

Many tests have been devised which have been thought to have more general application than those which have been mentioned above for the particular subjects. One of the most valuable of these tests, called technically a completion test, is that derived by Dr. M.R. Trabue.[29] In these tests the pupil is asked to supply words which are omitted from the printed sentences. It is really a test of his ability to complete the thought when only part of it is given. Dr. Trabue calls his scales language scales. It has been found, however, that ability of this sort is closely related to many of the traits which we consider desirable in school children. It would therefore be valuable, provided always that children have some ability in reading, to test them on the language scale as one of the means of differentiating among those who have more or less ability. The scores which may be expected from different grades appear in Dr. Trabue's monograph. Three separate scales follow.

Write only one word on each blankTime Limit: Seven minutes NAME ..........................
TRABUE
LANGUAGE SCALE B
1. We like good boys................girls.
6. The................is barking at the cat.
8. The stars and the................will shine tonight.
22. Time................often more valuable................money.
23. The poor baby................as if it.....................sick.
31. She................if she will.
35. Brothers and sisters ................ always ................ to
help..............other and should................quarrel.
38. ................ weather usually................ a good effect
................ one's spirits.
48. It is very annoying to................................tooth-ache,
................often comes at the most................time
imaginable.
54. To................friends is always................the........
it takes.
Write only one word on each blankTime Limit: Seven minutes NAME..........................
TRABUE
LANGUAGE SCALE D
4. We are going................school.
76. I................to school each day.
11. The................plays................her dolls all day.
21. The rude child does not................many friends.
63. Hard................makes................tired.
27. It is good to hear................voice.......................
..........friend.
71. The happiest and................contented man is the one........
........lives a busy and useful.................
42. The best advice................usually................obtained
................one's parents.
51.................things are................ satisfying to an ordinary
................than congenial friends.
84.................a rule one................association..........
friends.
Write only one word on each blankTime Limit: Five minutes NAME ............................
TRABUE
LANGUAGE SCALE J
20. Boys and................soon become................and women.
61. The................are often more contented.............. the
rich.
64. The rose is a favorite................ because of................
fragrance and.................
41. It is very................ to become................acquainted
................persons who................timid.
93. Extremely old..................sometimes..................almost as
.................. care as ...................
87. One's................in life................upon so............
factors ................ it is not ................ to state any
single................for................ failure.
89. The future................of the stars and the facts of............
history are................now once for all,................I
like them................not.

Other standard tests and scales of measurement have been derived and are being developed. The examples given above will, however, suffice to make clear the distinction between the ordinary type of examination and the more careful study of the achievements of children which may be accomplished by using these measuring sticks. It is important for any one who would attempt to apply these tests to know something of the technique of recording results.

In the first place, the measurement of a group is not expressed satisfactorily by giving the average score or rate of achievement of the class. It is true that this is one measure, but it is not one which tells enough, and it is not the one which is most significant for the teacher. It is important whenever we measure children to get as clear a view as we can of the whole situation. For this purpose we want not primarily to know what the average performance is, but, rather, how many children there are at each level of achievement. In arithmetic, for example, we want to know how many there are who can do none of the Courtis problems in addition, or how many there are who can do the first six on the Woody test, how many can do seven, eight, and so on. In penmanship we want to know how many children there are who write quality eight, or nine, or ten, or sixteen, or seventeen, as the case may be. The work of the teacher can never be accomplished economically except as he gives more attention to those who are less proficient, and provides more and harder work for those who are capable, or else relieves the able members of the class from further work in the field. It will be well, therefore, to prepare, for the sake of comparing grades within the same school or school system, or for the sake of preparing the work of a class at two different times during the year, a table which shows just how many children there are in the group who have reached each level of achievement. Such tables for work in composition for a class at two different times, six months apart, appear as follows: