Dynamic assessment

What is dynamic assessment?

When members of our team work with children and young people, we may use dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment is an approach which explores what the child can do independently, and what they can do with support. During the task, the professional will provide mediation or help to the child to support them to make progress on the task. Many different tasks and activities can be used, depending on the skills being explored and the profile of the child.

Dynamic assessment can provide information on:

• The cognitive factors impacting a child’s learning, for example vocabulary, memory, or planning skills.
• The affective factors impacting a child’s learning, for example attention, confidence and their response to help.
• Intervention strategies that may support the child to learn in the classroom.

Dynamic assessment is different from traditional standardised assessment. It does not usually produce scores, and it does not compare a child to other children of the same age. Instead, the information from dynamic assessment is usually qualitative and explained using words. This includes the child’s areas of strength, and areas where they may need more support. 

Why might members of the P&TS team use dynamic assessment?

With any involvement, our team members will consider which approaches and tools will be most suitable to achieve the best hopes for the involvement. This will vary depending on the situation and the practitioner involved.

We may choose to use dynamic assessment when:

• There are questions around the child’s approach to learning and the factors impacting this.
• We are hoping to explore strategies which may help support the child’s learning.
• The child has needs which may impact their performance in more traditional testing environments.

Dynamic assessment aligns with P&TS’s core guiding principles of being person-centred, solution-oriented, strengths based and trauma-informed. This is because dynamic assessment is tailored to each individual child, with mediation provided to support them to use their strengths and experience feelings of autonomy, competence and success during the task. By focusing on what the child can do and what helps them, the narrative around a child’s learning can shift to become more hopeful.

Dynamic assessment also aligns with the values of wider Suffolk Inclusion Services and the SEND strategy. For example, promoting collaboration and focusing on the individual needs and strengths of each child and young person.

It can be a helpful step in the graduated response and closely links with the Essential SENCo Toolkit and Judith Carter’s 7 Cs model.

Dynamic assessment shares many of the psychological principles of consultation, and these approaches are likely to be used together. Dynamic assessment can also be particularly helpful when members of school staff are able to observe the educational psychologist (EP), trainee EP (TEP), assistant psychologist (AP), or inclusion facilitator (IF) and the child completing the task together

Useful links

• Resources: DA learning resources | Dynamic Assessment UK
• Blog: Dynamic Assessment: A Journey
• Dynamic assessment research

More videos about dynamic assessment

An Introduction to Dynamic Assessment and Mediated Learning Experiences

Mediating Learning in Dynamic Assessment with Rachael Green

What is dynamic assessment?

When our team works with children and young people, we may use dynamic assessment. This approach explores what your child can do independently and with support. During the task, the professional provides mediation, which means they help your child or young person by giving guidance and support to help them make progress. Tasks and activities can vary, including drawing, memory tasks, visual puzzles, and games.

Dynamic assessment can provide information on:

• Cognitive factors: Such as vocabulary, memory, or planning skills.
• Affective factors: Such as attention, confidence, and response to help.
• Intervention strategies: That may support your child’s learning in the classroom.

Dynamic assessment is different to traditional standardised assessment. It does not usually produce scores or compare your child to others. Instead, it provides qualitative information, including their strengths and areas needing more support.

Why might we use dynamic assessment?

Educational Psychologists, Trainee Educational Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists and Inclusion Facilitators consider the most suitable approaches and tools for each situation. We may choose dynamic assessment when:

• There are questions about your child’s approach to learning and the factors impacting it.
• We want to explore strategies to support your child’s learning.
• Your child has needs that may affect their performance in traditional testing environments.

In P&TS, we believe dynamic assessment aligns with our core principles of being person-centred, solution-oriented, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. It is tailored to each child, supporting them to use their strengths and experience feelings of autonomy, competence, and success. By focusing on what the child can do and what helps them, the narrative around their learning can become more hopeful.