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Online formative assessments in KS1 & KS2
   
right2learn
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FAQ
  Frequently Asked Questions
 
How are the assessments put together?
Why should my child take the assessments?
Why are children’s names registered?
Are the Right2Learn assessments intelligence tests?
How do I register for the assessments?
May I register more than one child?
What if I forget my password?
How do you get the results at Right2Learn?
What should I tell my child about the assessments?
Am I allowed to help my child?
Is the use of calculators allowed for the Maths tests?
Why are the questions timed?
Why are questions multi-choice?
What if my child just guesses the answers?
Why are ethnic names used in the questions?
How do you know that questions are not too easy or difficult?
Can I view the questions afterwards, to go through them with my child?
What can we do with the results?
When can my child be re-assessed?
 
Q. How are the assessments put together?
All questions are produced by qualified and experienced teachers and then validated by another group of teachers. The nature and content of questions are designed specifically to measure the objectives laid down within the national strategy documents for each subject.

Questions are then tested out on a control group for the target school age, before being considered for inclusion within an test.

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Q. Why should my child take the assessments?
In a nutshell, the Right2Learn tests are a fast and convenient method for parents to identify children’s existing achievement in key educational subjects, via an independent means.

Benefits for parents include:
Specific indicators of your child’s strengths and possible areas for improvement, related to actual question types and educational objectives
A statistical report, comparing your child’s results with those achieved by other children in the same region and across the country
Influence over your child’s education through accurate and relevant information
 
Benefits for children include:
A visually appealing and stimulating activity which is fun to do
The opportunity to show parents what they can do
Increased confidence and enhanced desire to learn
Certificate of achievement with results for each subject
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Q. Why are children’s names registered?

This is an optional feature of the Right2Learn tests, and is only available to parents at home.

No children’s personal details are taken via registration for schools.

The names relate to the Toad or Toast fun element of the Right2Learn tests to be released in the near future. This renames characters selected by children at the start of the test to have the names of the children you enter on registration. The characters are then turned into a Toad or Toast in between questions, depending on whether or not your child answered the question correctly.

The names and number of times that a character was transformed into a Toad or Toast are then included on the personalised Certificate you will be able to download for your child upon completion of the each test.

The names do not have to be entered and can be removed from the database after your child has completed the tests if you wish.

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Q. Are the Right2Learn assessments intelligence tests?
No! The Right2Learn tests are attainment tests, designed to measure the achievement of specific objectives within the key educational subjects of English, Maths and Science for primary school children. A stated outcome being the identification of areas for further learning. The results cannot be taken as an indicator of levels of intelligence or likely performance in any other tests.
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Q. How do I register for the assessments?

The first step is to register your details.

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Once you have completed the registration form you will be allocated a parent’s or school Username and Password, via which you will be able to access tests in the future.

Right2Learn tests may then be purchased either individually or as a group.

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Q. May I register more than one child?

Yes! Currently, this is achieved by parents by re-registering your own details on our registration form and then entering the details of the additional child.

Schools enter the number of children per year upon registration.

In the future, parents will only need to register once and will be able to link as many children as they like to their own account thereafter.

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Q. What if I forget my password?
Simply contact us or send an email to enquiries@right2learn.co.uk and we will send you a reminder of the Username and Password.
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Q. How do you get the results at Right2Learn?
Once your child completes the last question the results are automatically sent to our database for reporting purposes. This enables the generation of the statistical reports and certificates which will be made available.
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Q. What should I tell my child about the assessments?
This varies of course according to the child and your own objectives as a parent in registering them for the tests. However, it is recommended that parents explain what is about to happen before the child begins the first test, so that she/he has some forewarning and understanding of what to expect.

Our experience and feedback is such that stating to children that you would like to sit with them and watch how they do some sums or reading on the computer, etc, usually suffices by way of explanation. Don’t forget to tell the child what is in it for them! (ie; fun! A certificate! The opportunity to show you what they can do!)

You may prefer not to refer to the process as an test, as the purpose is to build confidence whilst identifying your child’s strengths and development areas, rather than make them nervous.

We also advise that parents sit with the child at the very start to ensure that they have understood the multi-choice concept and how to answer (with the mouse).

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Q. Am I allowed to help my child?
Here at Right2Learn we recommend that, especially with younger children, parents may wish to sit with their child whilst he/she takes the test.

We suggest that parents may wish to observe at least the first test section to ensure that the child has grasped the concept of answering with multi-choice selection.

Furthermore, we recommend that parents assist with the reading of the question where necessary, so that possible reading difficulties do not affect for example the outcome of a Maths test.

It is requested that parents only read out the questions where necessary, but DO NOT read out any numerical data, or any of the answers. This would be deemed to be undue assistance and would influence the test results making your comparative report less valid.

The time taken and interest shown act as a great help to most children. This can stimulate and encourage the child, whilst also enhancing the parent’s own understanding of the child’s achievements through direct observation.

Your child may use paper and pencil for workings out unless otherwise indicated within a question.

There is a great temptation for many parents to go further and actually assist their child during the tests, particularly if they appear not to have any idea about how to approach a question. Our advice is to consider your objectives when registering your child for the test.

If you primarily wish to boost your child’s confidence and treat the tests as a learning tool then you may opt to assist your child. However, if you wish to have valid and relevant feedback within the report, which identifies the specific areas where your child might benefit from improvement, then our advice is to positively encourage your child, but refrain from providing further assistance than explained here.

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Q. Is the use of calculators allowed for the Maths tests?

The National Numeracy Strategy applies to primary aged children and is an integral part of the National Curriculum. Teachers will use this document alongside other materials when planning the delivery of mathematics to their class.

The guidance indicates that calculators SHOULD NOT BE USED IN KEY STAGE 1 (primary years 1 and 2) but that children should be taught to use calculators correctly during Key Stage 2 (years 3 to 6).

The key point is that children need to be taught basic number facts and have a good recall of them. Mental calculations or the use of paper and pencil should be conducted wherever possible, to ensure the child has grasped the numerical concepts required to be able to make correct use of the calculator. Your child should be able to estimate an answer when using a calculator or the outcome may be meaningless or wrong.

Within schools children are encouraged to learn when it is or is not appropriate to use calculators.

In short, CALCULATORS MAY BE USED FOR THE TESTS IN YEARS 3 TO 6, but this should be supervised to ensure that the child understands the principles involved in the question and would also have been able to arrive at the answer using mental calculations or paper and pencil.

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Q. Why are the questions timed?
There are several reasons for this approach.

Firstly, it enables parents and teachers to plan for the activity and prevents children from spending too long on an individual question which they may not understand.

The timed element is deemed necessary as part of the efforts to maintain consistency of conditions for the test. Ie: all children have the same opportunity to answer the question.

The timed element is also there to maintain the focus of the child and try to encourage a degree of concentration and discipline.

Finally, it is the Right2Learn view that the critical issue is to ensure that sufficient time is allocated for each question to allow the child to read and absorb the question, before working out and choosing an answer.

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Q. Why are questions multi-choice?
Part of the reason we have incorporated multiple-choice is that difficulty in marking the tests. It is our intention to avoid the need for parents or teachers to mark the tests, as this would be time consuming, cumbersome and may include room for error.

If we allowed free text fields for children to type their answers then difficulties can also occur, such as if they spell a word incorrectly, but have the essentially correct answer, it may still say they got it wrong!

As such, after very careful consideration and the deliberation by the many teachers and educationalists involved we have decided that the most reliable means of providing internet-based tests which can give instant and accurate feedback is via multiple-choice.
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Q. What if my child just guesses the answers?
A danger with multi-choice is that some children or even adults may succumb to the temptation to guess the right answer. We have three strategies to deal with this possibility:

First, all answers provided are considered to be feasible, with no answers being immediately obvious as being right or wrong. As such, each question provides a genuine series of 4 multi-choice options. If your child is to do well, the statistical probability of this resulting from guessing is low.

Second, the system will be updated in the very near future to have a break between the time when the question is displayed and the four multi-choice answers are shown. This can still not guarantee that the child will not guess the answer, but at least the interval should encourage the child to process the information and begin working out an answer.

Finally, it is our recommendation for parents to sit with the child at least at the start to try to ensure that the child approaches the tests in the correct manner. If it is obvious that the child is guessing the answers, we would hope that the parent would discourage this activity, perhaps by subtly asking the child to explain why they chose a particular answer.

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Q. Why are ethnic names used in the questions?
The names of characters used within the Right2Learn questions are deliberately chosen to represent and reflect the multi-ethnicity within the United Kingdom. However, it is not possible to represent all groups within the tests, as this would result in different names being used in every question, which might become a distraction for the child.
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Q. How do you know that questions are not too easy or difficult?
As explained in the answer to question 1, all questions are produced by qualified and experienced teachers and then validated by another group of teachers. The nature and content of questions are designed specifically to measure the objectives laid down within the national strategy documents for each subject.

However, we do not leave it there and assume we have got it right! All questions are analysed within our results table to identify questions where large numbers of children (proportionately) may take longer to answer than in other questions, or answer them very quickly. Questions which a disproportionate number of children answer correctly or incorrectly are also analysed carefully to ensure the content is appropriate.

Depending on the outcome of the analysis, questions might be modified slightly, such as by being given more or less time, or they might be removed from the test and replaced with an alternate question.

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Q. Can I view the questions afterwards, to go through them with my child?
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a hard copy of the tests, as this would result in a loss of control over the questions, bringing into doubt their integrity. If a child is able to view a copy of the questions before taking them within the test, this may affect their results and make the comparative analysis inaccurate.
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Q. What can we do with the results?
The statistical report that will be made available after completion of the test should answer the immediate questions you have regarding specific areas of performance and their relative significance.

This report will clarify the types of question taken and which objectives from the curriculum were being assessed. This information should assist you in identifying existing strengths and subject areas where the greatest potential improvement might be gained.

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Q. When can my child be re-assessed?
It is our recommendation that parents resist the temptation to retest their child too soon. The stated purpose of the tests is to identify strengths and areas for improvement and to boost your child’s confidence in a fun manner.

To avoid putting children under undue pressure, it is recommended that a period of time is allowed to pass between taking the first test in a given subject, eg: Maths, and taking any further test.

This should allow time for your child to build on the areas identified within the report, and achieve the increase in learning that would hopefully result in a higher score in a follow up test.

At Right2Learn it is our aim to release a second series of tests for each year in September 2003. Children taking these tests would have to have completed the first tests beforehand. The recommended timeframe between taking the two tests would vary according to the child and the support given and strategies taken by the parent/school to address areas identified.

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