DIBELS Test Prep :: How to Help Your Child Shine
The DIBELS test – a rite of passage for students like my little Jacob. As his mom, I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated by the whole process at first. I mean, who doesn’t love a good acronym, right? DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, which is just a fancy way of saying “we’re gonna test your kid’s reading skills and make sure they’re on track.”
So, where do you find the DIBELS test materials? Well, I discovered that the official DIBELS website is a treasure trove of resources, including practice tests, scoring guides, and even a handy-dandy calculator to help you figure out your child’s scores. I also found some great practice tests and study materials on websites like Teachers Pay Teachers.
Now, let’s talk about the different parts of the test.
I’ll be honest, at first, I was a bit confused about what each part was testing. But after doing some research and practicing with Jacob, I feel like I’ve got a handle on it.
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) Test
The PSF test is all about sounding out words. It tests your child’s ability to identify individual sounds within a word, which is a crucial skill for reading and spelling. This test is usually administered one-on-one, and your child will be asked to segment words into individual sounds. For example, if the word is “cat,” your child would say “/c/ /a/ /t/.”
I have to admit, at first, Jacob struggled with this part of the test. But we practiced and practiced, and now he’s a pro!
DIBELS Test Components and Study Tips
1. Letter Naming Fluency (LNF)
What it measures: How often students can name letters, both uppercase and lowercase.
Tips to study:
– Create flashcards with uppercase and lowercase letters and have your child quiz himself.
– Play a matching game where your child matches uppercase and lowercase letters.
– Use letter cards or foam letters to build words and have your child read them aloud.
2. Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
What it measures: How well students can break spoken words into their component sounds.
Tips to study:
– Play “I Spy” with sounds, where you give clues about the sounds in a word.
– Use word cards or pictures and have your child segment the word into individual sounds.
– Create a “sound scavenger hunt” where your child finds objects around the room that start with a specific sound.
3. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
What it measures: Basic phonics and blending skills.
Tips to study:
– Create “nonsense words” using magnetic letters or letter tiles and have your child read them aloud.
– Play a “word building” game where you start with a word and change one letter at a time to make a new word.
– Use online resources or apps that provide nonsense word practice.
4. Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
What it measures: How fluently and accurately students can read passages written at their grade level.
Tips to study:
– Practice reading aloud with expression and fluency.
– Use a timer to track progress and set goals for improvement.
– Record your child reading and listen to the recording together to identify areas for improvement.
5. Word Reading Fluency (WRF)
What it measures: How accurately and fluently students can read “sight” words.
Tips to study:
– Create flashcards with sight words and have your child quiz himself.
– Play a “sight word scavenger hunt” where your child finds sight words around the room or in books.
– Use online resources or apps that provide sight word practice.
6. Maze
What it measures: How well students can construct meaning from text using word recognition skills, background information, and reasoning skills.
Tips to study:
– Practice reading comprehension by reading passages and answering questions.
– Use graphic organizers to help your child visualize the text and make connections.
– Encourage your child to ask questions and make inferences while reading.
As for what’s a good score, that depends on the grade level. For kindergarten, a good score is around 40-60 on the PSF test and 20-40 on the NWF test. But don’t worry too much about the scores – just remember that the DIBELS test is like a snapshot of your child’s reading skills at a particular moment in time.
Jacob and I have been practicing for weeks now, and I’m amazed at how much progress he’s made. He’s gone from being hesitant to read aloud to confidently sounding out words and reading with expression. And when I asked him how he felt about taking the DIBELS test, he grinned and said, “I’m going to be a super reader!”
That’s all the motivation I need to keep practicing with him. Bring on the DIBELS test – we’re ready!
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