1. Understanding DIBELS and TRC
Addressing Questions with 1st Grade Reading and Comprehension
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2. What is DIBELS?
DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills.
Standardized and individualized
Short, 1-minute fluency measures to monitor the development of early reading skills.
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3. Why Use DIBELS? DIBELS are administered one-on-one.
DIBELS help provide individualized instruction.
DIBELS are focused on improving students growth in reading.
The assessments target areas of intervention.
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4. Assessments
Benchmark assessments are given to students individually three times a year.
Students in 1st grade take the following:
Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) in Fall
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) in Fall
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) All Year
Oral Reading Fluency in Winter and Spring
Sight Words (Optional level F and higher)
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5. Letter-Naming Fluency (LNF)
Individually administered
Students are given a page of uppercase/lowercase letters.
Students are told any unknown letters.
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6. Letter-Naming Fluency (LNF)
Students are given one minute to
name as many letters as
possible.
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7. Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
Given at the beginning of the year (BOY).
PSF assessments track a child’s ability to recognize phonemes, or the sounds of a word.
The ability to recognize letters sounds has been found to be a good predictor of later reading
achievement.
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8. Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
Students are read a list of words one at a time and are told to tell the sounds heard in the word.
Ex: cat = /c/ /a/ /t/ (3 sounds)
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9. PSF continued Students receive a point for each correct sound
that is identified in
1 minute.
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10. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
Student is presented with a list of random nonsense words (ex: tid, bos) and are asked to read each word.
Students can produce each letter sound if they are unable to read the word.
The goal is to read the whole word.
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11. Why is it important to read a nonsense word?
Demonstrates two skills that are essential to reading:
An awareness that each letter represents one sound.
An ability to blend and put sounds together fluently.
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12. NWF Forms
Student is given one minute to read as many words as possible while examiner records.
Students are given points for each correct sound in the word.
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13. NWF Benchmarks Given in fall, winter, and spring.
Students will score higher if they are able to read the whole word as opposed to sounding out the word.
Students are scored in two areas
Correct Letter Sounds (CLS)
Whole Words Read (WWR)
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14. Oral Reading Fluency
Measures a student’s ability to translate letters to sounds fluently.
Done MOY, EOY
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15. Oral Reading Fluency Procedures
Students are given
3 grade level
passages to read.
The average of the
3 is taken as the
score.
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16. DORF Procedures
Students are directed to read the passages as best as they can.
If students get stuck on a word, they are told what it is.
Omitted words, substitutions, or words taking longer than three seconds are counted as errors.
The number of words read correctly in 1 minute is the child's oral reading rate.
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17. DORF Retelling Fluency
After reading, students retell the passage in their own words.
This is done to take the emphasis off of speed reading.
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18. DORF Benchmarks
BOY
N/A
MOY 23
EOY 47
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19. What can I do if my child isn’t meeting the benchmark?
DON’T PANIC!! Talk to your child’s teacher….we are always happy to help!
Read to your child OFTEN and have him or her read to you!
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20. What is TRC?
Text Reading Comprehension, or TRC is a test that measures a student’s ability to read and understand text. The student is given a passage to read orally and the teacher conducts a running record reading assessment while the student reads orally. The student then answers both oral and written questions and the student’s oral reading, miscues, oral and written responses are scored to arrive at a reading level of either frustration, independent, or instructional.
94% above independent
90-93% instructional
89-below or not passing comprehension/writing frustrational

21. TRC Procedure
Students are introduced to book and take a “picture walk.”
Students read a story while the teacher listens and records.
Students answer oral comprehension questions.
Depending on the student's response to oral comprehension questions, he or she will then complete the written comprehension questions (beginning at Level F).

22. TRC Benchmark Goals RB to B C D G to H J to K L M to N O P to Q R to S
Grade
BOY Reading
Level Goal(s)
MOY Reading
EOY Reading
Kindergarten
RB to B C D
Grade 1
G to H
J to K
Grade 2 L
M to N
Grade 3 O
P to Q
Grade 4
R to S
S to T
Grade 5
T to U U
PARAPHRASE:
This chart displays proficiency cut points for TRC.
In Kindergarten, students are assessed on Print Concepts (PC) and Reading Behaviors (RB). The Score Categories available for the Print Concepts and Reading Behaviors assessments are Independent (IND) and Frustrational (FRU).
The Reading Levels achieved at BOY and MOY Kindergarten display in black on the Class and Student Summary reports on mCLASS:Home.
Goals vary for each grade level and assessment period.
If the student has no previous assessments, the application recommends beginning assessment at the grade-level expectation for the student’s grade and the time of year.
Use the student’s DORF score to help determine a starting point; if the DORF score is below or well below Benchmark, start at a lower book level than the grade-level expectation. If the student’s DORF score is well above Benchmark, start at a higher book level than the grade-level expectation. (refer to ‘Using DORF Results to Help Select a TRC Assessment Starting Level’ in the Quick Reference Guide) 22

23. TRC Retell/Recall (Benchmark Levels E and lower)
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Tap Retell to access
questions.
Now let’s learn how to administer retell/recalls, oral comprehension and written comprehension! Refer participants to the Retell, Oral Comprehension & Written Comprehension behind the TRC Tab in the Quick Reference Guide.
PARAPHRASE:
Benchmark Levels E and Lower texts require Retell (fiction) or Recall (non-fiction).
Student CAN NOT reference book.
Access the Retelling follow-up task from the TRC Results screen.
The text of the button reads “Retell” for both Recall and Retell.
Retellings and Recallings are scored using a four-point rubric (0–3 points).
Proficient is 2/3 and higher.
In Retell, students must retell several details from the story in the correct order.
In Recall, students must recall several facts from the story. The order of the facts is not significant.
Tap Done to record the score. 23

24. TRC Oral Comprehension (Benchmark Level D – Above)
Tap Oral Comp to access
questions (Benchmark)
PARAPHRASE:
Oral Comprehension is required for Benchmark Level D and Above.
Use the text‑specific questions on the device for Benchmark texts.
Access the Oral Comprehension follow-up task from the TRC Results screen.
Proficiency is 4/5 and higher.
The student may look back at the book to answer the questions.
**Typically begin with oral comprehension and follow with written comprehension for Levels F and Above. Students must complete the passage or book prior to answering the written comprehension questions.***
Tap Correct or Incorrect
to record answers to
questions provided. 24

25. TRC Written Comprehension (Benchmark Levels F – Above)
PARAPHRASE:
Written Comprehension is required for benchmark books Level F and Above
Teacher listens to words read aloud
After reading record is complete prompt the student to read the rest of the text silently and to complete the written comprehension questions, while the teacher begins to assess next student.
Student must read the text and questions by themselves. Teachers CAN NOT prompt.
Students are allowed to refer to their book while completing the written task
A student in K or Grade 1 BOY who reaches this level but has trouble writing dictates answers to the assessor.
Keep the written comprehension for the Instructional Level text for each benchmarking period. Include the EOY written comprehension in the cumulative folder work samples.
Tap Written Comp. to
Access the rubric.

26. Written Comprehension Scoring Rubric
Score
Level
What it means
What it requires
No Understanding
The response demonstrates no understanding of the text.
Completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or missing 1
Minimal Understanding
The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text.
Minimally addresses the demands of the questions
Uses minimal information to show understanding of the text in relation to the question 2
General Understanding
The response demonstrates a general understanding of the text.
Partially addresses the demands of the question
Uses text-relevant information to show understanding 3
Complex Understanding
The response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text.
Addresses the demand of the question
Effectively uses text-relevant information to clarify or extend understanding
To increase inter-rater reliability teachers can refer to Sample Written Comprehension Scoring Rubrics for each book/text on the Amplify North Carolina webiste.
Rigby Ultra Written Comprehension Materials OR
Use the exemplars that are printed in the “Assessment Materials” book in your materials box.
Enter the lowest score of the two questions into the device.
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27. How would you grade this student? 0,1,2, or 3?
There were no air planes long ago, so they traveled by train.
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There were no TVs long ago, but they had the radio to listen to.

28. How would you grade this student? 0,1,2, or 3?
They were happy.
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29. How to Level a Book
You can use Scholastic Book Wizard to level books on their website.
Apps:
Scholastic Book Wizard
Level It
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30. How To Help At Home
Read nightly and talk about what you read. Write answers once or twice a week.
Talk to your child’s teacher
Visit the First Grade Literacy Weebly:
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31. Questions