Better measures lead to better evidence for decision-making in education.

Captures the quality of young children’s hands-on exploration (e.g., passive contact vs. active manipulation vs. exploratory variation), providing more nuanced insight into learning-related behavior than simple time-based measures.

Performance-based and structured as a sequence of prediction–observation–prediction tasks, allowing it to capture children’s scientific reasoning processes and how they revise their thinking based on evidence.

Uses a hands-on, manipulable physical system to elicit children’s reasoning, allowing researchers to directly observe how preschoolers infer and test causal relationships rather than relying solely on verbal explanations or abstract questions.

The LSA uses photographs paired with open-ended, oral questions, which is developmentally appropriate for preschool children and allows them to express their understanding without relying on reading or writing skills.