DIBELS – Subtests and Practice Questions

What Subtests are on the DIBELS Test?

DIBELS, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills test, consists of six subtests or measures that assess specific literacy skills. The specific subtests within DIBELS may vary depending on the version and grade level being used, but here are the subtests you will encounter on the DIBELS – 8^th Edition.

Sound/Letter Knowledge –

1. LNF or Letter Naming Fluency (K-1^st grade): LNF measures a student’s ability to name letters quickly and accurately. Students are presented with a sheet containing random letters and are timed to see how many letters they can name correctly in one minute. (Test time – 1 minute)

Phonemic Awareness –

2. PSF or Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (K – 1^st grade): PSF assesses a student’s phonemic awareness by asking them to break down spoken words into individual phonemes or sounds. The student is given a word and must say all the individual sounds they hear in that word. (Test time – 1 minute)

Decoding and Reading Fluency –

3. NWF or Nonsense Word Fluency (K – 3^rd grade): This subtest evaluates a student’s ability to decode unfamiliar or nonsense words. Students are presented with a list of made-up words and are timed while reading them aloud. The number of words read correctly per minute is recorded. (Test time – 1 minute)

4. WRF or Word Reading Fluency (K – 3^rd grade): WRF measures a student’s ability to read as many words as they can (including high frequency words). (Test time – 1 minute)

5. ORF or Oral Reading Fluency (1^st – 8^th grade): Students are given 1 minute to read out loud as far through a passage as they can. The student is given a percent accuracy score on this subtest. It is one of the strongest measures of evaluating growth over time. (Test time – 1 minute)

6. Maze (2^nd – 8^th grade): In this subtest, students are presented with a passage in which some words are missing. They must choose the correct multiple-choice answer for the missing words. Maze Passage assesses a student’s reading comprehension and contextual word recognition. (Test time – 3 minutes)

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What are some Practice Questions for the DIBELS Skills?

 Practice for Letter Naming Fluency

 Parent Say:

Here are some letters (point to the letters). Tell me the names of as many letters as you can. When I say “Begin,” start here (point to the first letter) and go across the page (point). Point to each letter and tell me the name of that letter. If you come to a letter you don’t know, I’ll tell it to you. Put your finger on the first letter. Ready? Begin. (Time – 60 seconds)

N       r        T       u       v       O       P       e       a       B

M      S       d       X       c        A       g       K       U       R

Q       L       y        j        V       G       F       e       h       i

Note: There will be multiple rows of letters. Students go as far as they can in the allotted time.

Practice for Phonemic Segmentation Fluency

Parent Say:

I am going to say a word. So, if I say the word ‘top’, you would say  /t/ /o/ /p/.  If I say the word ‘it’ you would say /i/ /t/.  (Time – 60 seconds)

clock                  hit                  town

dish                   cave               pen

Anwers:  /c/ /l/ /o/ /ck/,  /h/ /i/ /t/,  /t/ /ow/ /n/,  /d/ /i/ /sh/,  /c/ /A/ /v/,  /p/ /e/ /n/

Note: There will be multiple rows of words. Students go as far as they can in the allotted time.

Practice for Nonsense Word Fluency

Parent Say:

Look at this word (point to the first word on the practice form). It’s a make-believe word. Watch me read the word: /f/ /e/ /p/, “fep.” (point to each letter, then run your finger fast beneath the whole word) I can say the sounds of the letters, /f/ /e/ /p/, (point to each letter) OR I can read the whole word “fep” (run your finger fast beneath the whole word). Your turn to read a make-believe word. Read this word (point to the word ros). Make sure you say any sounds you know. (Time – 60 seconds)

Note: There will be many words listed. Students go as far as they can in the allotted time.

Practice for Word Reading Fluency

Parent Say:

Read from this list of words (point to the practice form). Start here (point to the first word) and go across the page (point across the page). When I say “Begin,” point to each word and read it the best you can. If you get stuck, I will tell you the word, so you can keep reading. Put your finger on the first word. Ready? Begin. (Time – 60 seconds)

on                       who                    is                to               it

how                     first                     still             stop            bank

hug                     sports                  listen          wave          driver

Note: There will be multiple rows of words. Students go as far as they can in the allotted time.

Practice for Oral Reading Fluency

Parent Say:

Please read this (point to the passage) 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). Ready? Begin.(Time – 60 seconds)

Note: A passage will be given to your child. It will be scored on:

Total words read ____,   Total errors ____,    Total Words Correct.

Practice for Maze

Parent Say:

You are going to read the passage silently to yourself. For each missing word, you will see a box with three words in it. Your job is to circle the word you think makes the most sense in the context of the passage. Ready? Begin. (Time – 3 minutes)

How is the DIBELS Scored?

The scoring of DIBELS assessments is anchored in specific criteria for each subtest. These scores serve the pivotal role of pinpointing students facing potential reading challenges, thus guiding instructive decisions. Schools frequently establish benchmarks to appraise whether students meet grade-level expectations.

DIBELS – 8^th Edition evaluates students based on five types of scores:

• Raw Scores
• Equated Scaled Scores
• Percentile Ranks
• Growth Zones
• Composite Scores

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