Language

Language assessments are carried out using two methods: verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning involves the ability to understand and reason using words.

The importance of verbal reasoning

Children with good verbal reasoning ability are thought to do well in curriculum areas that require fluent verbal thinking.

Measuring verbal reasoning

We measure verbal reasoning using tasks from the Lucid Ability tests that take account of the child’s age. Children aged 4 – 6 years old will complete the Picture Vocabulary task. Five pictures appear on the screen in random positions. The child is given audio instructions: “Which picture goes best with the word …?” and has to click on the correct picture. The program is adaptive so the task will become harder or easier depending on performance.

Children aged 7 or above will complete the Link Word task. In this task two pictures are presented on the screen and separated by six words. The child’s task is to identify the word that provides the best conceptual link between the two pictures. If the child wishes, the computer will speak the words when they are clicked on, so reading competence is not necessary.

Non-verbal reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning involves the ability to understand and analyse visual information and solve problems using visual skills.

The importance of non-verbal reasoning

Children with good non-verbal reasoning ability are better at recognising visual sequences and identifying relationships between visual objects. This ability enables individuals to analyse and solve complex problems without relying upon language skills.

Measuring non-verbal reasoning

We measure non-verbal reasoning using tasks from the Lucid Ability tests that take account of the child’s age. Children aged 4 – 6 years old complete the Dressing Up task. This is a mental rotation task where the child is shown ‘Zoid’ (in the middle) and four of his friends around him on the computer screen. Zoid and his friends are all playing a dressing-up game together and are wearing or carrying different items.

The child has to decide which one of Zoid’s four friends has copied him exactly. Children aged 7 or above will complete the Matrix Puzzle task. A pattern will appear with a missing shape replaced by a question mark. The child has to choose which of six possible options is the missing shape that completes the pattern.