DIBELS
Dear Parents,
DIBELS is a weekly homework assignment. This is to help the students with their reading fluency which will aid them in their DIBELS performance. DIBELS information is below. The students will have a chart where they will track their WPM (words per minute). The chart will need to stay in the maroon folder. The students will have a reading passage several times a week. The caretaker will need to time them for one minute. (Timers can be found on Iphones, microwaves, online, etc. ) At the end of the minute you will need to fill in the chart of how many words were correct. The goal is 70 words in August, 90 words in January, and 110 words by the end of the year.
Below is interesting information that explains the DIBELS testing process. The students are tested three times a year and have been tested since Kindergarten if they were with the Central School System.
What are DIBELS? Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of assessments used for universal screening and progress monitoring in grades K-6. They are standardized, efficient and extensively researched.
The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills.
DIBELS were developed to measure recognized and empirically validated skills related to reading outcomes. All of the measures have been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be reliable and valid indicators of early literacy development and predictive of later reading proficiency to aid in the early identification of students who are not progressing as expected. When used as recommended, the results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives.
Which skills do the DIBELS measures assess?
The DIBELS measures were specifically designed to assess the Big Ideas of early literacy: Phonological Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, Fluency with Connected Text, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. The measures are linked to one another, both psychometrically and theoretically, and have been found to be predictive of later reading proficiency. The measures are also consistent with many of the Common Core State Standards in Reading, especially the Foundational Skills. Combined, the measures form an assessment system of early literacy development that allows educators to readily and reliably determine student progress.
What do we do with DIBELS information? DIBELS scores help educators identify students who may need additional literacy instruction in order to become proficient readers. DIBELS can be an integral part of most RTI programs.
Dear Parents,
The teachers and administrators at our school are committed to helping your child become a successful reader. As part of this commitment, our school has chosen to use a test called DIBELS to help us examine how your child is doing in learning important reading skills. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. DIBELS tests five skills that are necessary for learning to read. Children who learn these skills become good readers. The skills are:
• Phonemic Awareness: Hearing and using sounds in spoken words
• Alphabetic Principle: Knowing the sounds of the letters and sounding out written words
• Accurate and Fluent Reading: Reading stories and other materials easily and quickly with few mistakes
• Vocabulary: Understanding and using a variety of words
• Comprehension: Understanding what is spoken or read
DIBELS is made up of seven short individual tests, called subtests. Each DIBELS subtest focuses on a different skill and takes about 1 minute to do. Your child may be given two to five of the DIBELS subtests depending on his or her grade level.
Each DIBELS subtest takes only about one minute to do because they are used as indicators. Much like using a thermometer to take a child’s temperature is an indicator of overall health, each subtest is an indicator of how well a child is doing in learning a particular early reading skill. DIBELS is used with millions of children throughout the United States. A child’s score on a subtest tells us whether the child is likely to be “on track” for learning to read, or whether that child may need some help in learning important reading skills. Your child’s teacher will use the information to better help your child. For example, the DIBELS test may tell us that we need to spend more time teaching your child how to “sound out” unknown words. DIBELS is used to identify children who may need extra help to become good readers and check up on those children while they receive the extra help to make sure they are making progress. DIBELS also may be used by your school to make decisions about how well the school’s overall reading program is working for all children. We are working hard at school to make sure that every child is on target for success, and we thank you for your efforts at home. Together, we will help your child become a successful reader.