Name: TEMA3: Test of Early Mathematics Ability Third Edition

Publisher: Pro-Ed 1983, 1990, 2003

Age/Grade Level: 3 years, 0 months8 years 11 months. Can also be used

as criterion referenced or diagnostic for older students

Skills/Concepts: 72 items, beginning with perception of small numbers

(informal) and ending with mental subtraction: multi-digit numbers
(informal). Manipulatives, counting on fingers, understanding part vs. whole,
addition

Purposes:

1. Identify those children who are significantly behind or ahead of their

peers in the development of mathematical thinking
2. Identify specific strengths and weaknesses in mathematical thinking
3. Suggest instructional practices appropriate for individual children
4. Document childrens progress in learning arithmetic
5. Serve as a measure in research projects

Concept: Mathematical thinking begins in early life and evolves through

several phases.
1. Precounting phase
2. Counting phase
3. Written Numbers phase

Forms of Mathematical Knowledge:

1. Informal mathematical knowledgebefore school

2. Formal mathematical knowledgedepends on informal, evolving

Concepts and Skills

1. Conceptsassimilation and integration
2. Skillsformal
3.
Key features:
1. Picture book
2. Profile/examiner record booklets
3. Manipulatives
4. Assessment probes and instructional activities

Test reliability:

1. Coefficient at .80 to .89 considered minimally reliable

2. Coefficient of .90 or higher most desirable
3. TEMA-3 Forms A and B both above .90
Test validity:
1. Need to demonstrate 3 types of validity: content description, criterion
prediction, and construct identification.

Administration directions:
1. Eligibility 3 yrs to 8 yrs 11 months
2. Examiner qualifications: formal training in assessment, testing
statistics, knowledge of general procedures governing test
administration, scoring, and interpreting and specific information
about the evaluation of math ability.
3. No time limit
4. Entry pointstable for determining entry point based on childs age
5. Ceilingchild gets five wrong in a row
6. Basalfive in a row correct; if double basal then use one closest to
ceiling
7. Read and be familiar with manual
8. Have all materials
9. Practice with three kids first
10. One kid at a time
11. Quiet, comfortable space
12. Keep child on task and calm

Scoring guidelines:
1. Raw scorenumber how many correct
2. Standard scoremean 100 standard deviation 15
3. Percentile rank--
4. Age equivalent
5. Grade equivalent

Results, strengths, and limitations

Tests do not diagnose
Previous editions did not include manipulatives, directions unclear
(what if a kid shows a number using both hands?)
Third edition addresses those issues

IEP development:
1. ID students that are behind, identify how far behind, and on what
specific skills