The Concepts About Print assessment tests children on early skills such as distinguishing between a letter and a word and the direction of print. A child meets with a tester in a one-on-one situation. The test is used to determine what pre-reading skills children are entering school with. It is not a test that parents can prepare their child for, except for daily reading together. In this assessment, the classroom teacher is often the one giving the test. Typically, districts will create their own Concepts About Print scoring sheet by using a standard 10-question format that can be found online. Since this is an in-house created assessment, there is no charge to districts.
DIBELS is the acronym for The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. The test is designed to measure what the National Reading Panel lists as the Five Big Ideas in early literacy. The sections of the test assess phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy and fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. There is a cost for school districts to use the data system and testing materials. The goal of the assessment is to take the early data and intervene with students early on. DIBELS is given by trained employees of the district, whether it is the classroom teacher, reading teacher or principal.
AIMSweb is designed to assess students on three to four areas per assessment. As children progress through the year and onto another grade the assessment focus changes. One of the early assessments quizzes children on how many letters they can name in one minute. AIMSweb assesses all students at least three times per year. Students who fall below the benchmarks are suggested for intervention. When the students receive intervention, teachers can use biweekly monitoring tools to observe progress. School districts can order this program for their buildings; there is a cost for the tests and service. AIMSweb is assessed by teachers within the district who have been trained to use the assessment.
A common tool to assess children's early reading skills is the Developmental Reading Assessment, DRA. After children have an understanding of letters and sounds, this tool can be used to determine on what grade level they are reading. There is an early childhood kit available for kindergarten through third grade. In the kit there are leveled books, two per each level. To give a test, a teacher introduces the book to the child and then the child reads the book. While the child is reading, the teacher marks miscues and errors. After the pupil is finished with the text, comprehension questions are asked to determine understanding. The reading level is based on the child's accuracy and comprehension of the text. DRA kits are available for individual purchase or by school districts. DRAs are usually given by the classroom teacher and occasionally by a reading teacher.