SLS Student Language Scale: Screener for Language and Literacy Disorders

An ideal companion to the groundbreaking TILLS test! Screen with SLS, and then follow up and diagnose with TILLS.

For use on its own or with the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills™ (TILLS™), the Student Language Scale (SLS) reliably screens students ages 6-18 years for language/literacy disorders, including dyslexia. Filled out by parents, teachers, and students, the screener is a quick, cost-effective way to see how students are performing on academic tasks as compared to their same-age peers.

Use the SLS to:

• Screen for language/literacy disorders, including dyslexia, by gathering teachers’ and parents’ ratings of students
• Gather input about a struggling student’s strengths and needs from multiple sources
• Enhance home–school communication by gaining new insight into the student’s performance and the teacher’s and the parents’ and student’s perspectives on it, whether or not everyone agrees and whether or not there are concerns

Equally effective when used with an entire classroom or with individual students, the SLS is the tool you need to quickly gather valuable information about strengths and needs—and plan next steps for students at risk for disorders.

Why use the SLS?

• Expert developed. The SLS developers are highly respected for their test-building skills and evidence-based work in the field of language and literacy assessment and school social work.
• Fast and easy. The three-part SLS can be completed in just 3 minutes or less. Administration and scoring is simple - a pencil and paper are all you need.
• Strong sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity of the SLS to risk of language/literacy disorder is .90 for teachers and .85 for parents, and specificity (correct identification of typical learners) is .90 for teachers and .83 for parents.
• Cost effective. The SLS helps you screen effectively at a lower cost than comparable tools on the market.

Perfect for use with TILLS!

• The SLS is an ideal companion to the groundbreaking TILLS test, which assesses oral and written language skills in students ages 6–18 years. Gather teacher and parent ratings for whole classes of students with the SLS, and if results indicate that a student is at risk, follow up with TILLS assessment and other forms of language/literacy assessment.

Download File

Download File

Table of Contents

• SLS User's Manual
• Gummed tablet of 50 TILLS™ Student Language Scale forms
• SLS Quick Start Guide with basic instructions on administering and scoring

"The SLS is an incisive, elegant screening tool to guide the recommendation for in-depth language and literacy assessment. The straightforward, brief rating scale and comment section offer insight into the student's profile from the perspective of teachers, parents, and the student. Superb case examples are provided in the User's Manual."
- Sue Ellen Krause, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, BCS-FD, Krause Speech & Language Services

"I can't recommend the SLS highly enough—it provides a quick and easy way to obtain qualitative information about a child's speech and language abilities from multiple sources. Unlike many questionnaires, the SLS asks about students' strengths, as well as solicits suggestions from parents, teachers, and children regarding ways to help students succeed. I use the SLS both to screen for language disorders and plan effective therapy; it's an integral part of my assessment toolkit."
- Carrie Goodwiler, MA, CCC-SLP, San Diego State University

"As an enthusiastic user of the TILLS, I am very happy to have the SLS as an additional tool in m y arsenal. The SLS offers an even stronger view of the student's profile of strengths and needs with a clear and manageable rating scale that can easily be incorporated into assessment with TILLS."
- Beverly Barkon, MSL, Ph.D., Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician (#0244), Carlow University