1. Deeds Gill, Lead School Psychologist Fresno Unified School District
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) – Part 2 of 2
Deeds Gill, Lead School Psychologist
Fresno Unified School District

2. Agenda:
Quick overview of conceptual and research foundations of DIBELS from Part 1
Identify Big Ideas of early literacy and reading.
How to administer and score two DIBELS measures:
Nonsense Word Fluency
Oral Reading Fluency

3. What is Reading?
Reading – an extraordinary ability, peculiarly human and yet distinctly unnatural…acquired in childhood, forms an intrinsic part of our existence as human beings, and is taken for granted by most of us. (p.3)
Shaywitz. S. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Knopf.

4. Early Screening Identifies Children At Risk of Reading Difficulty
2.5
5.2 5
Matthew Effect 4
Low Risk on Early Screening
Children get tested Here
Reading grade level 3
Gap Starts Small 2
Screen Early
Why wait to Fail
Notes:
This slide demonstrates the power of screening assessment to predict reading outcomes through the end of fourth grade. Reading outcomes were measured at the end of each year. The measure reported here assesses a combination of reading accuracy and comprehension.
 The children were administered measures of phonemic awareness and letter knowledge at the beginning of first grade, and divided into two groups: At-Risk, and Low Risk.
[click] The line in red shows the progress of children who began first grade performing in the bottom 15% in phonemic awareness and letter knowledge. At the end of fourth grade, these children were reading at an average level of mid second grade. In contrast, children who began first grade with higher levels of phonemic awareness and letter knowledge and roughly equivalent levels of overall ability, finished fourth grade reading at beginning fifth grade level.
[click]
Notice the gap starts small.
Then the jaws open like an alligator. This is referred to as the “Matthew Effect” that is to say “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.”
Special education has had a wait to fail mentality and children get tested here.
Reading first, from the general education side is saying screen early why wait for children to fail
At Risk on Early Screening 1
Grade level corresponding to age

5. Effectiveness of Early Intervention
National Reading Panel conclusions that there is clear and convincing evidence of the value of early intervention.
If intervene in grades K-2, 82% will be brought to class level
If intervene at grade 3, 46% will be brought to class level
If intervene at grades 4-7, 10-15% will be brought to grade level

6. Early Intervention Changes Reading Outcomes
5.2 5
4.9
Intervention
With substantial instructional intervention 4
Low Risk on Early Screening
3.2
Control
With research-based core but without extra instructional intervention
Reading grade level 3
2.5 2
Notes:
Children from the bottom 15% in phonemic awareness and letter knowledge were randomly assigned to either a control group, or a group that received more intensive reading instruction in first and second grade.
[click] The dotted red line shows the progress of the children who did not receive extra instructional intervention, and you can see that improved classroom instruction produced slightly better outcomes for them than in the earlier study in the same schools.
[click] However, the children who were identified by the screening tests and received substantial instructional intervention did almost as well as average children by the end of fourth grade.
Improved classroom instruction will help our most at-risk children learn to read better, but most will require more intensive interventions if we expect them to read at grade level by the end of fourth grade.
At Risk on Early Screening 1
Grade level corresponding to age

7. Summary: What Do We Know?
Reading trajectories are established early.
Readers on a low trajectory tend to stay on that trajectory.
Students on a low trajectory tend to fall further and further behind.
UNLESS…

8. …We DO Something: We CAN Change Trajectories.
How?
Identify students early.
Focus instruction on Big Ideas of literacy.
Focus assessment on indicators of important outcomes.

9. What DIBELS Assess: Critical Outcomes and Indicators
The NRP and NRC reports identified five essential skills or “Big Ideas”:
Phonological Awareness: The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in the words.
Alphabetic Principle: The ability to associate sounds with letters and use these sounds to read words.
Accuracy and Fluency with Connected Text: The effortless, automatic ability to read words in connected text to develop understanding.
Vocabulary: The ability to understand (receptive) and use (expressive) words to acquire and convey meaning.
Comprehension: The complex cognitive process involving the intentional interaction between reader and text to extract meaning.

10. Assessing Each Big Idea With DIBELS
Big Ideas
DIBELS Measure
Phonological Awareness
Initial Sounds Fluency (ISF)
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
Alphabetic Principle
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
Fluency and Accuracy
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
Vocabulary
Word Use Fluency (WUF)
Comprehension
Retell Fluency (RTF)

11. So, how do the DIBELS assessments work?

12. The two sides of DIBELS:
1. DIBELS Benchmark Assessments
All students are assessed using the benchmark assessments
Perfect for Tier 1 UNIVERSAL SCREENING Purposes
2. DIBELS Progress Monitoring Assessments
Students designated as at-risk can be placed in some form of intervention and progress monitored to determine if the intervention is working

13. DIBELS Progress Monitoring
Progress Monitoring of each skill is possible with the DIBELS Progress Monitoring assessments
Each assessment has 20 alternate forms available for use with students who require progress monitoring
Great for use with student receiving interventions in Tier 2 and/or Tier 3.
(See the sample Progress Monitoring Booklets at your table)

14. How are DIBELS different from other assessments used in schools?
All of the DIBELS assessments are FLUENCY based.
Assess the automaticity of the skill
Designed specifically for screening and progress monitoring of essential reading skills
Alternate forms are available to assess each skill weekly or every 2 weeks
Quick and easy to administer
Can be administered by Certificated as well as Classified staff.
Assessments are linked to research validated benchmarks or outcomes that can help predict future performance.

15. The DIBELS Measures Phonemic Segmentation Fluency
Initial Sounds Fluency
Letter Naming Fluency
Nonsense Word Fluency
Oral Reading Fluency
Look at your Benchmark Test Booklets

16. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)

17. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
What important skill does NWF assess?
Alphabetic Principle: The ability to associate sounds with letters and use the sounds to read words.
What is the appropriate time and grade?
Middle of the year in kindergarten and throughout first grade.
What is the goal?
First Grade:
How well? 50 letter-sounds or more and 15 whole words read
By when? Middle of first grade
Kindergarten
How well? 25 letter-sounds or more by end of kindergarten.

18. How do We Administer and Score the NWF Measure
Materials
Examiner probe
Student pages
Stopwatch
Pencil
Preparing the student:
Good testing conditions (e.g. lighting, quiet, comfortable)
Provide the model in standardized procedures as necessary.

20. How Do We Administer and Score the NWF Measure?
Say these specific directions to the child:
“Look at this word (point to the first word on the practice probe). It’s a make-believe word. Watch me read the word: (point to the letter /s/, (point to the letter “I”) /I/, (point to the letter “m”) /m/ “sim” (run your finger fast through the whole word). I can say the sounds of the letters, /s/ /i/ /m/ (point to each letter), or I can read the whole word “sim” (run your finger fast through the whole word).
“Your turn to read a make-believe word. Read this word the best you can (point to the word “lut”). Make sure you say any sounds you know.”

21. How Do We Administer and Score the NWF Measure?
CORRECT RESPONSE: If the child responds “lut” or with some or all of the sounds say – That’s right. The sounds are /l/ /u/ /t/.
INCORRECT RESPONSE: Watch me (point to the letter “l”). Altogether the sounds are /l/ /u/ /t/ (point to each letter) or “lut” (run your finger fact through the words). Remember, you can say the sounds or you can say the whole word. Let’s try again. Read this word the best you can (point to the word “lut”.)

23. How Do We Administer and Score NWF Measure?
Place the student copy of the probe in front of the child. “Here are some more make-believe words (point to the student probe). Start here (point to the first word) and go across the page (point across the page). When I say “begin,” read the words the best you can. Point to each letter and tell me the sound or read the whole word. Read the words the best you can. Put your finger on the first word. Ready, begin.”

24. Maximizing Administration Time
Stopwatch
Start watch after student says the first word/sound and time for 1 minute.
Scoring:
Underline each correct letter-sound produced ( see specific, scoring rules and examples).
Slash each incorrect letter-sound produced.
Maintaining momentum:
Allow the student 3 seconds for each letter sound. After 3 seconds, provide the sound to keep the student moving.
Discontinue:
If a student does not get any correct in the first row, discontinue the task and record a score of zero (0).
Ending the testing:
At the end of 1 minute, put a bracket after the last letter-sound/word produced and calculate the total letter-sounds correct in one-minute.

25. Scoring Rules for NWF
1. Correct Letter Sounds A correct letter sound is scored as the most common sound in English.
For example, all the vowels are scored for the short sound and most common sound for the letter “c” is /k/. See pronunciation guide for remaining letter sounds.
Underline exactly the way the student goes sound by sound, underline each letter individually.
2. Whole Words Read: If the student reads the target as a whole word, underline the entire word.

26. Scoring Rules for NWF
Partially Correct Responses If a word is partially correct, underline the letter sounds produced correctly. Put a slash (/) through the letter if the letter sound is incorrect.
For example, if stimulus words is “sim” and student says “sam” the letters “s” and “m” would be underlined because those letter sounds were produced correctly, giving a score of 2.
Repeated Sounds: Letter sounds pronounced twice while sounding out the word are given credit only once.\
For example, if stimulus word is “sim” and the student says /s/ /i/ /im/ the letter “i” is underlined once and the student receives 1 point for the phoneme “i” even though the letter “i” was pronounced correctly twice (a total of 3 for the entire word.)

27. Scoring Rules for NWF
3-second rule – sound by sound If student hesitates for 3 seconds on a letter, score the letter sound incorrect, provide the correct letter sound, point to the next letter, and say “What sound?’
This prompt may be repeated. For example, if the stimulus word is “tob” and the student says /t/ 3 seconds, prompt by saying, “/o/ (point to b) What sound?”
3 second rule – word by word If student hesitates for 3 seconds on a word, score the word incorrect, provide the correct word, point to the next word and say, “What word?”
This prompt may be repeated. For example, if the stimulus words are “tob dos et” and the student says, “tob” (3 seconds) prompt by saying “dos” (point to et) What word?”

28. Scoring Rules for NWF
Sound Order – sound by sound: Letter sounds produced in isolation but out of order are scored as correct.
For example, if the stimulus word is “tob” and the student says “b…o…t”, but point to each letter correctly, it is scored as correct for a score of 3/3.
Sound Order – word by word: Blended letter sounds must be correct and in the correct place (beginning, middle, end) to receive credit.
For example, if the stimulus word is “tob” and the student says “bot” only the “o” would be correct and in the correct place for a score of 1/3.

29. Scoring Rules for NWF
Insertions: Insertions are not scored as incorrect.
For example, if the stimulus word is “sim” and the student says “stim,” the letters “s” “i” and “m” would be underlines and full credit given for the word, with no penalty for the insertion of /t/.
Skipping Rows If student skips an entire row, draw a line through the row and do not count the row in scoring.
Self-corrections If student makes an error and then self- corrects within 3 seconds, write “SC” above the letter and count it as correct.

30. Tips for Scoring Short vowels, etc.
Score for the most common sounds of the letters.
Short vowels, etc.
A point for each letter, whether it is sound-by-sound or read as a whole word.
Score what you hear!
Underline exactly the way the student completes the task.
Practice with at least 7 students before using the scores to make programming decisions.
Look over words you are presenting to increase pacing.

31. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)12 11 10 5
48/4
© 2005c, Dynamic Measurement Group

32. Practice NWF

36. Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)

37. Oral Reading Fluency (ORF):
What important skill does it assess?
Fluency and accuracy with connected text: The effortless, automatic ability to read words in connected text leads to understanding.
What is the appropriate time and grade?
Middle of first grade through third grade.
What is the goal?
To be fluent at the skill by end of first grade.
How well? 40 correct words or more
By when? End of first grade
What about second grade?
How well? 90 correct words or more
What about third grade?
How well? 110 correct words or more.

38. How Do We Administer and Score the ORF Measure?
Materials
Examiner probe
Student passages
Stopwatch
Pencil
Preparing the student:
Good testing conditions (e.g., lighting, quiet, comfortable)

39. How Do We Administer and Score the ORF Measure?
Say these specific directions to the child:
“Please read this (point) out loud. If you get stuck, I will tell you the word so you can keep reading. When I say “stop,” I may ask you to tell me about what you read, so do your best reading. Start here (point to the first word of the passage). Begin”

40. Maximizing Administration Time
Stopwatch:
Start watch after student says the first word and time for 1 minute.
Scoring
Slash each word produced incorrectly.
Maintaining momentum:
Allow student 3 seconds for each word. A 3 seconds, say the word to keep the student moving.
Discontinue:
If student does not get any correct in first row, discontinue the task and record a score of zero (0).
Ending testing:
At the end of 1 minute, put a bracket after the last word produced and calculate the number of correct words in 1 minute.

41. Scoring Rules for ORF
Correctly Read Words are pronounced correctly. A word must be pronounced correctly given the context of the sentence.
Example: The word “read” must be pronounced /reed/ when presented in the context of:
He will read the book WRC = 5
Not as:
“He will red the book.” WRC = 4
Self-corrected Words are counted as correct. Words misread initially but corrected within 3 seconds are counted as correct.
Example:
The river was cold: WRC = 4
read as:
“The river was could..(2 seconds)..cold.” WRC = 4

42. Scoring Rules for ORF
Repeated Words are counted as correct. Words said over again correctly are ignored.
Example:
Ted ran swiftly. WRC = 3
read as:
“Ted ran.. Ted ran swiftly.” WRC = 3
Dialect Variations in pronunciations that are explainable by local language norms are not errors.
Example;
They washed the car. WRC = 4
“They warshed the car.” WRC = 4

43. Scoring Rules for ORF
Inserted Words are ignored. When students add extra words, they are not counted as correct words nor as reading errors.
Example
Sue was happy WRC = 3
read as:
“Sue was very happy.” WRC = 3
Mispronounced or Substituted Words are counted as incorrect.
Example:
The dog ate the bone WRC = 5
“The dig ate the bone.” WRC = 4

44. Scoring Rules for ORF Omitted/Skipped Words are counted as errors.
Example:
Mario climbed the oak tree WRC = 5
read as:
“Mario climbed the tree.” WRC = 4

45. Scoring Rules for ORF
Words must be read in accordance with the context of the passage.
Hyphenated Words count as two words if both parts can stand alone as individual words. Hyphenated words count as one word if either part cannot stand alone as an individual word.
Numerals and Dates must be read correctly in the context of the sentence.
Abbreviations must be read as pronounced in normal conversation. For example, “TV” could be read as “Teevee” or “television,” but “Mr.” must be read as “mister.”

46. Tips for Scoring Student must read exactly what is on the page.
Self-corrections and insertions are ignored and not counted as errors.
Simply slash errors until you fell comfortable writing in the error type.
Score what you hear!
Practice with at least 7 students before using the scores to make programming decisions.
Look over the passages you are presenting to ensure pacing is efficient.
Use the middle score of the three passages read to assess the student’s skills.
Have student read all three passages in one setting.

47. DIBELS™ Oral Reading Fluency (DORF)
My uncle, my dad, and my brother and I built a giant sand castle at the beach. First we picked a spot far from the big waves. Then we got out buckets and shovels. We drew a line to show where it would be. It was going to be big!
We all brought buckets of wet sand to make the walls.
Total: _____ 49
© 2005c, Dynamic Measurement Group

48. Now… go forth and DIBEL!!
THE END
Questions / Comments

49. Thank You!