Overview
The Digital EMA@School assessment focuses on three fundamental subdomains of numeracy (with Fraction Concepts assessed in Grade 4). Each subdomain is designed to provide insights into different aspects of children’s number skill development.
Core Subdomains
Number Knowledge
Number Knowledge tasks assess a child’s understanding of:
- Number recognition and identification
- Counting skills (forward and backward)
- Number naming and sequencing
- Understanding of number magnitude
These skills form the foundation for all other mathematical learning and are critical predictors of later success.
Number Relations
Number Relations tasks evaluate:
- Understanding of relationships between numbers
- Comparison skills (greater than, less than, equal to)
- Number ordering and sequencing
- Understanding of number patterns
These skills help children understand how numbers relate to each other and form the basis for more complex mathematical thinking.
Number Operations
Number Operations tasks measure:
- Basic addition and subtraction
- Understanding of operation concepts
- Problem-solving with numbers
- Mental math strategies
These skills are essential for mathematical problem-solving and are strong predictors of later mathematical achievement.
Fraction Concepts (Grade 4)
For Grade 4 students, the assessment includes:
- Understanding of fractional parts
- Fraction representation
- Basic fraction operations
- Fraction comparison
Assessment Design
Brief and Focused
Digital EMA@School is designed to be brief while providing comprehensive insights. This allows for:
- Minimal disruption to classroom instruction
- Multiple administrations throughout the year
- Efficient identification of students who need support
Explicit Instructions
All instructions are explicit to ensure:
- Consistency among different administrators
- Fair assessment conditions for all students
- Reliable and valid results
Fast and Easy Marking
The assessment is designed for:
- Quick scoring by teachers
- Clear marking criteria
- Immediate feedback on student performance
Scoring and Interpretation
Performance Rankings
The assessment provides:
- Overall performance rankings
- Per-measure information
- Individual strengths and limitations
- Actionable insights for instruction
Predictive Power
Skills measured in Digital EMA@School are:
- Building blocks for advanced mathematics
- Predictive of longer-term development
- Based on over 20 years of research
- Validated across Canadian schools
Administration
Flexible Delivery
The assessment can be:
- Administered by classroom teachers in group settings
- Completed independently by students
- Adapted to different classroom contexts
- Used for universal screening or targeted assessment
Target Population
Designed primarily for:
- Students in Kindergarten through Grade 4
- Universal screening purposes
- Identifying students at risk for math difficulties
- Measuring learning gains over time