While the Word Data has Only Four-Letters-It is not a Four-Letter Word

Data means a lot of things in this world, much of which is negative.  The bank collects your data; websites collect data on your interests and browsing habits; supermarkets collect data on your spending habits; and now schools are collecting data on what your child knows.  I recently published a book on using rubrics to collect data on goal progress in occupational therapy sessions.  Through my research, I have discovered that collecting data on your child is not a bad thing.  Using data collection strategies helps teachers and therapists research your child.  That word 'research' is very important.  It helps teachers and therapists learn what your child knows and what your child needs to know.  It helps us figure out exactly where the breakdown in learning is occurring.  Data collection helps us identify your child's strengths and limitations.  I have begun to use rubrics in my own practice, starting a few years ago with keyboarding.  There is at least 10 or more items that an occupational therapist will look at when assessing a student's keyboarding skills.  

Let's look at keyboarding speed.  The following items are skills that an OT would look at to determine what your child can do and what your child needs to learn to do: