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The objective of this study was to explore whether dynamic testing of indigenous and ethnic minority children could provide information concerning changes in their strategy use during testing. It was hypothesized that dynamic testing with graduated prompting and trial-by-trial-assessment could reveal the development of children’s strategy use while tested. The participants were indigenous Dutch and ethnic minority children. Trial-by-trial-testing provided information of how strategy use developed during training. Experimental-group children showed significant changes towards more advanced strategies. Ethnic minority children showed most strategy changes during training, initially needing more prompting but progressively requiring less. The study provided insight into strategy use during and after training. Pretest strategy level was found to be the first predictor of posttest strategy level, followed by condition and ethnicity. Age, gender, and intelligence test scores did not change this order. The relatively short dynamic intervention provides insights into children’s strategy use and their response to prompting, particularly for ethnic minority children.

This study was designed to investigate teachers’ opinions of and responses to reports and recommendations based on dynamic assessment or traditional assessment as part of a psychodiagnostic procedure. One hundred six typical first grade elementary school children participated, as well as their 18 teachers, distributed over an experimental, semi-control and control condition. Children were administered either a dynamic test (Learning Potential Test for Inductive Reasoning) or a static test (Raven’s Progressive Matrices). Teachers were observed and interviewed and asked to estimate the learning potential for each child, prior to assessment as well as after recommendations, to assess possible changes and determine their responses to the provided reports and recommendations. Results showed teachers’ appreciation for specific contents of the dynamic assessment reports (e.g., learning potential, need for and type of instruction). Teachers rated most recommendations as applicable and even changed some aspects of their teaching practices in response to recommendations; suggesting that dynamic assessment provides the tools to link assessment to teaching practice.

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This study investigated teachers’ evaluations of reports and recommendations, based on outcomes of dynamic assessment, regarding their second grade pupils with math difficulties. Thirty-one teachers and 116 pupils assigned to an experimental or control condition participated. Reports for children were based on administrated math and memory tasks and either a dynamic test (Seria-Think Instrument) or standard test (Raven PM). Teachers were observed, interviewed, rated the learning potential at two moments, and evaluated specific dynamic assessment information in a follow-up questionnaire. Results showed that teachers valued the dynamic assessment reports and recommendations overall as meaningful, as did teachers reading static reports. Learning potential ratings appeared to be affected by the reports. Dynamic assessment information and recommendations were valued as applicable for constructing individual educational plans; personal factors (seniority and teaching experience) appeared of influence. To realize the potential of dynamic assessment, it is recommended to make dynamic assessment part of teacher’s curriculum.