Tests and Assessments
Pre- and post-tests are given with the help of an administrator. The results are dependent on the administrator’s listening skills and judgment. Pre- and post-tests ascertain the reading level for each student and customize the curriculum to suit individual needs. These tests are optional and can be given at intervals determined by the administrator.
Pre-Test
Three initial assessments are included as part of the pre-test: reading-grade level, Most Common Words, and nonsense words.
Reading Grade Level
This first assessment provides a fast, accurate calculation of a student’s reading-grade level. Ten lists of 20 words each - words that students should be able to recognize at the grade level of the list number - are shown for students to read aloud. The content words are based on phonetic structure and were selected based on similar words used in the San Diego Quick Assessment, Border Test of Reading-Spelling Patterns, Rapid Test, Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and the Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT).
An administrator must be present to administer the assessment. Based on the outcome, students reading below a fourth grade level should study and practice the entire program. Students reading above a fourth grade level will have lessons 2-7 automatically overridden for them. Lessons 8 and 9 review the alphabet, introduce the marking system, and teach word formation. Lesson 9 is followed by Interim Test 1. If students successfully complete Interim Test 1, they will continue on with the program at Lesson 10. All students should run Lesson 1, as it deals with instructions for the operation of the courseware.
Most Common Words
In this assessment, 40 high-frequency words are shown for students to read. If students perform poorly, they will receive 40 additional words to allow them to improve their scores. If a student scores above 85percent on this section, the software curriculum will be modified to bypass the Most Common Words instruction for that student.
Nonsense Words
This assessment is divided into two portions of 40 words each. The first 40 words test for recognition of individual phonemes. The second 40 continue that process and also record mispronunciation based on the phonetic pattern of the word, such as silent E or adjacent vowel patterns. When a word is mispronounced, the test administrator has the ability to identify, on a grid, the individual phonemes missed. A report can then show detailed information on those phonemes as well as the decoding patterns most often misread.
Interim Tests
Four interim tests fall at strategic points within the lessons and assess student understanding of the concepts taught to that point. If an interim test is failed, a prescription is formulated indicating the lessons that should be reviewed to internalize areas of weakness. The computer automatically resets the software to require those lessons to be retaken. Upon completing the review, the interim test is taken again and the student continues through the course.
Post-Test
The post-test is identical to the pre-test. The post-test is designed to be administered at incremental points determined by the administrator and upon completion of the program. Post-Test results provide a prescription of skills that still need improvement and calculate a reading grade-level gain based on a comparison with the pre-test results.
