Readiness & mastery
Bloom keeps two ideas distinct. Many schools blur them. Both sit on top of the practice → demonstration → application path: Learning Units build readiness; Proficiency Demonstrations (or approved Projects) prove mastery.
| Idea | What it means |
|---|---|
| Readiness | Practice (Learning Units) shows they are prepared to try a demonstration |
| Mastery | They have met the Concept’s proficiency criteria with evidence—usually a Proficiency Demonstration, not a quiz score alone |
The readiness measure
Section titled “The readiness measure”You will often see a simple measure, for example:
PD readiness: 3 of 4 criteria met
That answers: How close are we to a fair attempt at showing mastery?
- It is driven by practice progress on that Concept
- It is independent of Mastery Points
- Reaching full readiness is what makes a PD invitation fair—not a streak or a points total
Parents, teachers, and students should be able to read the same meter the same way.
What feeds readiness
Section titled “What feeds readiness”Practice on Learning Units updates how far the learner has come against the Concept’s readiness criteria—for example accuracy bars, required types of practice, or other evidence of preparation set for that Concept.
Soft prerequisites and extra help can shape how they practice. Hard prerequisites decide whether the Concept is open at all. See Concepts.
Mastery
Section titled “Mastery”Bloom records a Concept as mastered when a successful demonstration meets clear proficiency criteria:
- Usually a Proficiency Demonstration
- Or a Project clearly marked as a demonstration path, completed with any required sign-off
That mastery event:
- Updates the official academic record / portfolio
- Advances the Knowledge Frontier
- Opens Concepts that depended on this one as a hard prerequisite
Mastery is not awarded for finishing practice alone, for time spent, or for Mastery Points.
When a demonstration is not yet met
Section titled “When a demonstration is not yet met”| What happens | What it is not |
|---|---|
| Clear gaps are named | A vague failing grade with no next step |
| Extra Learning Units target those gaps | Busywork unrelated to the miss |
| Readiness can rebuild | A permanent lock-out |
| Effort still earns recognition where appropriate | A dead end with no progress signals |
What unlocks next vs what encourages
Section titled “What unlocks next vs what encourages”| Decides advancement | Encourages effort |
|---|---|
| Hard prerequisites | Mastery Points |
| Readiness criteria vs practice progress | Streaks, badges, optional levels |
| Proficiency criteria vs demonstration evidence | Celebrating strong weeks of work |
Important decisions stay evidence-based and rule-based. Encouragement stays encouragement. See Mastery Points.
For classrooms and homes
Section titled “For classrooms and homes”The same readiness and mastery definitions apply whether an adult at home or a teacher in school is supporting the learner. Visibility may differ by role; the meaning of “ready” and “mastered” does not. See Roles & visibility.