Theory of tests

In my graduate work, we studied from Gulliksen's "Theory of Mental Tests".  I was not impressed and I have not used the theory since.  As I remember what I read, the school board of Paris realized that some children have troubles and handicaps that prevent them from benefitting from the usual syllabus and activities.  They commissioned the creation of a test that tried to separate children who could benefit from typical school from those who can't.  The best book I can remember about the recognition of the range of school readiness is "A Mind at a Time"by Mel Levine.

I took a course in which I was required to administer the Stanford-Binet test of intelligence to something like ten children.  I had to find ten children willing to be tested and whose parents were willing.  I did but I included my own two school-aged daughters as part of the group.

To a surprising extent, many school activities rely on reading ability, speaking ability and memory for what is read and said.