DIBELS 8th & Student History Report

Our teachers have multiple ways to monitor your child’s reading development, including an early literacy universal screening assessment. Early literacy screenings are brief tests that provide insight into foundational reading skills. These screenings help identify students who may need additional support to become successful readers.

Note: Screening does not diagnose dyslexia or other learning disabilities, but it can indicate which students might benefit from targeted support.

Tyngsborough Public Schools uses the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS 8th Edition), which is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

DIBELS is used because it:

• Provides a quick, reliable snapshot of early reading skills.

• Helps teachers identify students who may need additional support.

• Meets Massachusetts requirements for assessing students in grades K–3 at least twice per school year.

Important: DIBELS is a timed assessment and measures specific skills. It is not a comprehensive picture of a student’s reading ability, but rather a screening tool to identify areas where support may be needed.

DIBELS 8th Edition includes several short, one-minute subtests to measure foundational reading skills:

• Letter Naming Fluency (LNF): Ability to quickly name printed letters.

• Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF): Ability to hear and separate sounds in spoken words.

• Nonsense Word Fluency – Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS): Knowledge of letter sounds (basic phonics).

• Nonsense Word Fluency – Words Read Correctly (NWF-WRC): Ability to blend letter sounds to read whole words.

• Word Reading Fluency (WRF): Ability to read grade-level words accurately and automatically.

• Oral Reading Fluency – Words Correct (ORF-WC): Accuracy and fluency in reading connected text.

• Oral Reading Fluency – Accuracy (ORF-Accuracy): Percentage of words read correctly.

Each score is represented by a color level to help teachers and families understand reading progress:

• Blue (some grades) – Above Benchmark: Performing above grade level expectations; demonstrates strong foundational skills.

• Green – At or Above Benchmark: Meeting grade level expectations; continued instruction maintains growth.

• Yellow – Below Benchmark: May need additional support or targeted practice.

• Red – Well Below Benchmark: May need intensive support and focused instruction.

These color levels guide teachers in providing instruction that matches your child’s needs, including enrichment, small-group support, or intensive intervention.

Families will receive Student History Reports outlining your child’s reading progress over the years of screening. These reports:

• Show trends in reading development over time.

• Highlight areas of growth and areas needing support.

• Help families and teachers work together to ensure ongoing literacy success.

These reports provide context beyond a single assessment, showing how your child has progressed year to year.

Families play an essential role in literacy growth. You can support your child by:

• Encouraging daily reading at home.

• Discussing words and texts together.

• Contacting your child’s teacher with any questions about DIBELS results or reading progress.

We are committed to ensuring that all students develop strong reading skills, and we appreciate your continued partnership in supporting literacy growth.