As school psychologists, we face the challenge of translating complex cognitive processes into language that parents can understand. Fluid reasoning can be one of the most challenging areas to explain, yet parent-friendly language is crucial for helping teams and parents understand a student’s learning profile. Too often, parents can leave meetings confused because the team focused on test names and standard scores instead of what the results actually mean for their child’s learning. Here are 3 tips I hope you find useful!
Tip #1 – Go Beyond the Numbers
Rather than saying, “They scored low on Figure Weights,” explain what this might mean for the student in the educational setting if you have other data that confirms this low score
Tip #2 – Use Simple, Concrete Language
Many school psychologists find that using analogies helps families picture what fluid reasoning means. You might say that fluid reasoning is like putting together a puzzle without the picture on the box, following clues like a detective to solve a mystery, or figuring out the best route when your usual path is blocked. These everyday problem-solving examples make the concept more concrete and relatable for families.
Tip #3 – Link to Educational Impact
Share examples of how fluid reasoning challenges show up in the classroom for this particular student, such as difficulty figuring out patterns in math, organizing ideas for writing, or approaching multi-step directions. Ensure that you have multiple sources of data to support your test results!
When we demystify fluid reasoning, we help parents and teams feel more confident in creating an individualized and unique plan for the child moving forward, while also building trust between the home and school.
