Interpreting Reading And Spelling Tests

If you have raw scores from a recent reading or spelling test, you can establish a suitable series of structured workbooks that will help a particular student to "catch up".

If you do not have recent reading and spelling test results, you can download free tests.

The Schonell Spelling Test with scoring and the Burt Reading Test with scoring are freely available as pdfs at

http://www.rrf.org.uk

Here are my suggestions for using standardised reading and spelling tests.

With all tests it is important to ensure that the student is at ease, and that the test conditions are as favourable as possible, paying attention to light, comfort and freedom from distractions.

It should be explained that the tests are to see how much progress a student has already made and that it may be repeated, say, in about six months to see how much further progress has been achieved.

It is demeaning to tell a child or young person who is in need of a catch-up programme what is his or her "reading age" or "spelling age". Instead, just give the student the raw score on each occasion that the test is taken.

Interpreting scores

The results of standardised tests can be expressed in several ways.

The raw score is the number of correct items.

The standard score relates the raw score to the student's chronological age. The average or mean standard score is 100. Standard scores within the range 85 to 115 inclusive are usually considered to be within the average range. Most students obtain a standard score within this range.

Percentile scores range from 0 to 100, with the average score being 50. Percentile scores from 16 to 84 inclusive are considered to be within the average range. Most students obtain a standard score within this range.

Stanine scores range from 1 to 9 with 5 being the average score. Standard scores and percentiles can easily be converted to stanine scores using tables published with reading and spelling tests.

Reading and Spelling Tests

Many reading tests have been published. Full details can be found by searching for descri ptors of these tests on the Internet.