

The comprehension portion includes 3 types of questions, and students can score from a 1-3 in each area: These levels have been tracked for several years therefore, it’s unrealistic to think they can catch up to grade level in one year if they begin the year reading several levels below grade level. If your child is reading below grade level at this time, it’s not uncommon for them to score lower on classroom assessments. Inform parents of progress over a period of time.Document student progress during a school year and over several years.Assess the outcomes of teaching strategies.Identify students who need interventions.Determine reading placement levels and group students for instruction.INSTRUCTIONAL-Read with 90-94% accuracy with satisfactory comprehension.INDEPENDENT-Read with 95-99% accuracy with satisfactory comprehension.Determine your child’s “independent” and “instructional” reading level.Beginning of the year (August-September).

An expected 1 year growth may be 3-4 levels therefore, if they are unable to make these gains each year they will have extreme difficulty reaching the grade level expectation. Students must be able to verbalize their thoughts for this type of assessment.

They read a combination of fiction and nonfiction books, mistakes are recorded, and questions are asked to gauge understanding of the text. This is just one tool used to determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The assessment provides valuable information about reading accuracy, comprehension, fluency, and more. The Fountas and Pinnell Assessment System in one way our district identifies a student’s reading level. Independent Level: Text the child can easily read and understand on his/her own. Instructional Level: With teaching and support, the child can read the text. Recommended gradeĪlternative classifications of reading difficulties have been developed by various authors (Reading Recovery levels, DRA levels, Basal Levels, Lexile Levels, etc.).įountas and Pinnell Reading Level Characteristics This is the grade-level equivalence chart recommended by Fountas & Pinnell. Some schools adopt target reading levels for their pupils. While young children display a wide distribution of reading skills, each level is tentatively associated with a school grade. Small books containing a combination of text and illustrations are then provided to educators for each level. While classification is guided by these parameters, syllable type, an important consideration in beginning reading, is not considered as part of the leveling system. Reading text is classified according to various parameters, such as word count, number of different words, number of high-frequency words, sentence length, sentence complexity, word repetitions, illustration support, etc. It can also be used more frequently with struggling readers to assure continued progress.Fountas & Pinnell reading levels (commonly referred to as “Fountas & Pinnell”) are a system of reading levels developed by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell to support their guided reading method. It can also be used more frequently middle grades. In this context, teachers can make objective decisions about student achievement based on observations and careful analysis of student responses using well-researched criteria.ĭRA can be used on an annual or semi-annual basis to monitor and document changes in student achievement within a school year and across the middle grades. The reading assessment has been designed to scaffold real reading situations in which students are placed daily. It also provides educators with information that helps them determine student independent reading levels. When the comprehensive perspective of each student's reading achievement, DRA assesses student reading achievement in engagement, oral reading fluency, and comprehension skills and strategies. Support teachers and school districts in keeping parents and other stakeholders informed about the level of achievement. Prepare students to be successful at meeting today's classroom and testing expectations, and

Help teachers diagnose students needs and plan for timely instruction, Monitor students growth on a variety of crucial skills and strategies that successful readers utilize, The primary purposes of the assessment are to: Developmental Reading Assessment is designed to be a classroom-based reading assessment for K-6.
