Weird assessment in primary school?

Lass1992

Hi, can anyone tell me what this assessment might of been?
I was in 1st infants, it was 1996, I was taken away from class and introduced to a lady in a suit with a briefcase, we were taken to what seemed like a utility room, it was small, with a table and 2 chairs put in.
She asked me loads of questions, gave me scenarios and asked me how would the person in question feel about this situation etc. And she did some wooden shape test and a few other puzzles with me that are a bit fuzzy and I cant remember clearly. I left class at 9 and we were done by "little lunch", so 2 hours.
I only ask because I asked my parents and they told me they don't know and don't seem to remember.
I wasn't a bold child, never in trouble, I don't have a record of this, I called the school but they said they don't five out records.
It's a strange thing to be curious about but I would like to know.
Thanks for any info in advance.

byhookorbycrook

Do you mean Junior Infants? It sounds like a psycho-educational education assessment, bu it's odd your parents don't know anything about it.

Lass1992

Yes, junior infants. Why would this kind of assessment usually be carried out? I know, very odd, or they're just not saying.

as_mo_bhosca

It does sound like an assessment by an educational psychologist. School cannot refuse to give you any records they hold on you.

Musefan

I’m a psychologist. Sounds like a cognitive assessment. Probably due to a teacher wondering about your progress and wanting to find out more about how to support you. Children’s development is incredibly variable and it’s likely whatever was concerning the teacher just resolved. Do you have any memory of difficulties with speech, reading or maths?

Big Bag of Chips

I never had any trouble in school and in the early 80s our entire class were given this sort of test. It determined who needed additional supports from a resource teacher. After that some people went to the resource teacher for a few classes a week, and others didn't.

Did you ever need resource hours?

One of my children had speech therapy for a stammer when they were younger, and the session often consisted of pictures with people doing different things. They were used to explore how much the child noticed in a picture, and what they could explain was going on. If the child said "she's pouring a drink" the therapist would dig a bit deeper to see of the child could explain more about the picture etc.

byhookorbycrook

Or you might have been a "guinea pig" for someone to try testing- but again , parents would normally be consulted.

Anahita

It's possible it was a post-grad research project of some sort (ill advised by the sounds of it) that your parents consented to and don't recall agreeing to?

Knit wit

I too was a tested child ... back in the late 1970s the school 'invited' my class to come in on a Saturday. We were taken by bus to the nearby St. John of God's where we were matched with an adult and taken into a room for testing. I remember being asked question after question for what felt like hours. I did jigsaw puzzles while the lady watched. At the end when I was getting tired she asked whether I was tired ... I remember telling her I was a bit tired but I could do a few more tests. We stayed for maybe 10 more minutes ... then we were given a packet of cheese and onion taytos and a can of coke and went back to the school on the bus. It was never spoken of by our parents or the school. Nobody ever explained why they were testing us. I was in junior infants (4 or 5 years old). I didn't think about it until last year when I was studying ethics in children's research... 35 years later I still wonder about it.

Musefan

Knit wit wrote: »

I too was a tested child ... back in the late 1970s the school 'invited' my class to come in on a Saturday. We were taken by bus to the nearby St. John of God's where we were matched with an adult and taken into a room for testing. I remember being asked question after question for what felt like hours. I did jigsaw puzzles while the lady watched. At the end when I was getting tired she asked whether I was tired ... I remember telling her I was a bit tired but I could do a few more tests. We stayed for maybe 10 more minutes ... then we were given a packet of cheese and onion taytos and a can of coke and went back to the school on the bus. It was never spoken of by our parents or the school. Nobody ever explained why they were testing us. I was in junior infants (4 or 5 years old). I didn't think about it until last year when I was studying ethics in children's research... 35 years later I still wonder about it.

I would bet that it was a class of educational or clinical psychologists who were tasked with practicing their assessment skills!