Assessment
How DODO assesses reading and writing
DODO measures your child at the start, through and at the end of every 16-week cycle. The free consultation gives a first read, and a placement assessment at Week 0 sets the level and a Lexile estimate. Session worksheets, a check on every book, four written reports and two parent meetings follow the progress, and Week 16 closes with a second Lexile estimate.
Why does DODO assess?
An assessment should show what a child knows, not where they break. Ours is written by DODO from our curriculum and built that way: the first questions in each section are easier on purpose, easier and harder questions alternate, and a question that takes a while is a note for the Navigator, not a lost mark. What we want is a starting line you can trust, and a record of how far your child has come.
What happens before you enroll?
There is no test before enrollment. The free 20-minute consultation gives a first read: a Navigator asks about your child’s reading and writing and what school is asking of them. If you have a school score, such as a MAP report or a school Lexile, bring it and we’ll read it together.
What happens at Week 0?
Before the first session, your child takes DODO’s entrance assessment online, at their own pace. It covers reading, language and listening. At the first levels the child also reads a short passage aloud, and at the upper levels there is a separate writing task. How long it takes depends on the level. The Navigator scores it, places your child in one of the seven levels and estimates their Lexile level. We use Lexile at the start because it’s a yardstick schools and families already share, so the starting point means the same to you as it does to them. Within 72 hours you receive that number, a written report in English and Chinese, and a call with the Navigator.
How is progress tracked through the cycle?
Between the two Lexile estimates, progress is measured in our own terms, against what the cycle actually teaches.
Every session
Each session comes with its own worksheet, so you, your child and the Navigator can see the work build, session by session.
Every book
Our curriculum is designed in the tradition of MCT, and each book opens and closes with a short check drawn from the book itself, so you can see what the book taught.
Week 4
A written progress report and a one-on-one meeting with the Navigator. If the placement was off, the level changes here.
Week 8
A written midpoint report, read against the book checks and worksheets.
Week 12
A written report and a follow-up meeting with the Navigator.
Week 16
The exit assessment: a second Lexile estimate, a full written report, and a meeting with you to decide the next step.
How is writing scored?
Writing is scored on the skills of your child’s level: building sentences and paragraphs at the first levels, essay structure, style, grammar and usage at the upper ones. The scores are on every report, so you can see which skills are moving.
What do you receive?
Every report is written in English and Chinese. After Week 0 it opens with where your child starts, then scores reading and language, writing, and listening and speaking, shows how they did on questions below, at and above their level, and ends with the Navigator’s notes. It gives your child’s age, never an internal level name. Below is a sample with invented data.
SAMPLE · 样例
Entrance report · Week 0 · Age 10 · Lexile estimate 640L
On Track · 稳步推进
Your child meets the current level securely. The foundations are solid; the next phase consolidates and extends them.
Reading & Language 阅读与语言
Writing 写作
Listening & Speaking 听力与口语
Navigator’s notes
Reads closely and answers in full sentences. Took longer on two vocabulary items; we’ll start with word roots in week 1.
What if progress stalls?
If the book checks and worksheets show progress stalling by Week 8, we start a diagnostic review: a call with you, a Navigator’s observation, and a check of how hard the material has been. If the issue is engagement, we adjust. If it’s readiness, we defer enrollment to a later cohort and refund the remaining balance.
Questions parents ask
How long does the entrance assessment take?
Who sees the assessment results?
Can the level change if the placement was off?
Is the assessment included in the fee?
Can parents help or sit in during the assessment?
What happens after Week 16?
Start with the consultation.
20 minutes with a Navigator, who gives a first read of your child’s reading.