1. Cynthia McGurl, Ph.D. HILL for Literacy & CK3LI
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency mCLASS DIBELS Next Refresher & Reliability Check
Cynthia McGurl, Ph.D.
HILL for Literacy & CK3LI

2. DORF
Timing starts when the student says and you tap on the first word.
Correct
(leave blank)
Incorrect
(Tap)
Ignore
(Ignore)
Reads correct word; pronounces correctly in context
Pronounces word incorrectly due to articulation delay/dialect/different first language
Reads incorrect word
Reads correct word out of order
Omits word
Hesitates 3 seconds
Reads numerals or abbreviations NOT as the word would be pronounced in speaking, (e.g., “M.R.” for Mr.)
Repeats word
Adds word
Examiners may wish to write this in notes.
Self-correct: Re-tap the word and it will be counted as correct.
Skipped line: Tap the “X” at the end of the row and all words will be counted as errors.
Wait Rule: Say the word, mark as incorrect (Tap), and, if necessary, point to the next word and say, What word?
Discontinue Rule: No correct words read in the first line. (Device will prompt you)
To summarize the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency measure… Students read from a passage for one minute. Words read correctly are left blank. Errors such as reading the incorrect word, transposing or omitting a word, or words that are not read within 3 seconds are slashed. Errors such as repeating or adding words are left blank. Students can self correct an error within 3 seconds. If a student skips a line, draw a line through it and count the skipped words as errors. Discontinue DORF if a student has not read any words correct in the first line of the passage. CLICK

3. DORF Reminders
If the student stops (and it is not a hesitation on a specific item), Say Keep Going. This can be used as often as needed. If the student loses his/her place, point to the next word in the passage. This can be used as often as needed.
See DIBELS Cheat Sheets as a Reference

4. Game Show
Partner up
You will and your partner(s) will be provided with tricky questions regarding DIBELS administration and scoring.
No gotchas, rather this is an opportunity to have good conversation.
TWO Rules:
EVERYONE PARTICIPATES
HAVE FUN!

5. Question I Multiple Choice
Timing on DORF begins when:
After the student reads the first word
After you say begin
Whenever you remember to hit the start button
On DORF timing begins once students have been provided the first word or once the word has been provided to them (the examiner says begin, waiting 3”, no response, word provided).

6. Question II True/False
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency only captures how quickly students can read the print off of the page.
False
Oral Reading Fluency (of which DIBELS is one brand) has been widely researched over the past four to five decades. All research points to the fact that ORF is highly correlated to reading comprehension and overall academic achievement. This does not mean that once students are fluent and automatic in their reading it is guaranteed they will comprehend and the Report of the National Reading Panel has clearly illustrated students need good language skills, vocabulary and background knowledge to do that. This Panel also illustrated that children need to automatically and effortlessly pull the print off of the page to allow for enough memory to understand what they are reading.

7. Question III True/False
When students insert words, they are penalized one point for each word inserted.
False
Unlike other indicators of fluency, insertions are not counted as errors on Oral Reading Fluency.

8. Question IV True/False
Proper nouns misread multiple times count as errors only once.
False
Unlike other indicators of fluency, every time a Proper noun is misread it counts as an error. However, phonetically reasonable approximations may be accepted.

9. True Question V True/False
Oral Reading Fluency is a measure that is an indicator of “reading fluency” and may provide insight into a student’s ability to read and comprehend grade level material.
True
This is true for similar reasons mentioned above. A student’s fluency/automaticity are often prerequisites but do not necessarily guarantee comprehension of grade level materials.

10. Question VI Fill in the Blank
How many seconds do students have to self-correct in order to receive credit for a word read correctly? When students hesitate, how long do you wait prior to providing them with the word? 3
_____ Seconds 3
_____ Seconds

11. Question VII True/False
In Oral Reading Fluency, if the word in the passage is can’t and the student reads “can not” they can still receive credit.
False
To receive credit, students must read exactly what is written on the page.

12. Question VIII True/False
It is okay to preview the passage and read the title to the student prior to testing.
False
It is NOT okay for students to preview what is read on the page. DORF intends to capture student performance on a cold read, or a passage they have never seen or read before. Do not direct students to read the title but don’t stop them if they do. Timing does not begin with the title, it begins with the first word of the passage.
can be faded

13. Question IX True/False
When students hesitate for 3 seconds you provide them with the words, score it as incorrect and prompt them to keep going if necessary.
True

14. False Question X True/False
It is really important to tell students to read as fast as they can prior to testing because that is what this is all about!
False
This is not about students reading as fast as they can, rather it is about students doing their “best reading.” In the event students read unreasonably fast, the examiner may stop testing and say “This is not a speed reading contest. Please begin again and do your best reading.” On the paper and pencil version, simply restart your timer and begin again. On mCLASS invalidate the probe and begin again.

15. Retell Timing starts when you say and tap on “begin”.
Correct
(tap boxes for each word OR draw a line through each box for a word)
Incorrect
(Ignore or Move Stylus Back)
Words that are related to the passage read
Words that are unrelated to the passage
Filler (um, ah) and false starts (um, like, you know)
Repetitions of words or phrases
Songs or recitations
“I don’t know”
Three-Second Rule: If the student pauses for 3 seconds, say, Tell me as much as you can about the story OR Can you tell me anything else about the story? (And tap the 3 Sec. Pause button).
Five-second Rule: After the 3-second reminder, if the student pauses or goes off track for 5 seconds, say, Thank you, (tap the 5 second Pause button) and discontinue retell. T

16. Retell Reminders
If the student pauses for 3-seconds or provides a limited response, the teacher should say tell me as much as you can about the story OR can you tell me anything more about the story.
See DIBELS cheat sheets as a reference

17. Retell-Score this Text 17 STUDENT RESPONSE
Reminder at the beginning … This was about Anna and Kim. (6) This was about Anna and Kim and Kim was going to help (5). The kids were learning fancy tricks (6). Anna was going to pet a cow (0). I like to jump rope with my sister but my jump rope is too short (0).
STUDENT RESPONSE
Umm… (3”)… This was about Anna and Kim. This was about Anna and Kim and Kim was going to help. The kids were learning fancy tricks. Anna was going to pet a cow. I like to jump rope with my sister but my jump rope is too short.

18. Quality of Response Provides 2 or fewer details
Provides 3 or more details
3 or more details in a meaningful sequence
3 or more details in a meaningful sequence that capture the main idea
(Note: If the student provides only the main idea, it is considered one detail.)
2- there were 3 or more details but they were not in a meaningful sequence.

19. Retell-Score this Text 17 STUDENT RESPONSE
Reminder at the beginning … This was about Anna and Kim. (6) This was about Anna and Kim and Kim was going to help (5). The kids were learning fancy tricks (6). Anna was going to pet a cow (0). I like to jump rope with my sister but my jump rope is too short (0).
STUDENT RESPONSE
Umm… (3”)… This was about Anna and Kim. This was about Anna and Kim and Kim was going to help. The kids were learning fancy tricks. Anna was going to pet a cow. I like to jump rope with my sister but my jump rope is too short. 1 2
QUALITY OF RESPONSE:
Two details: 1

20. Retell – Score This
Passage: The main ingredients for this recipe are cucumbers and dill weed. Both of these are easy to grow if you are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden. If you don’t have a garden, you can find them in the produce department at the grocery store. Two other produce items you will need are fresh garlic and a small onion about the size of a golf ball. You will also need salt and sugar to add flavor to pickles. 6
Student Response: This story is about um… oh yea … making pickles. You put them in a pot and you cook them with other stuff. Then you take them out and put them in the refrigerator and then you can eat. They are delicious
QUALITY OF RESPONSE:
One detail: 1

21. Student Have 2nd strongest assessor play the student
Student Have 2nd strongest assessor play the student. Assessor Have strongest DIBELer be the assessor first. Have that person administer the measure completely. Observer Keep notes on Assessment Reliability checklist and score along. Have the observer read back the feedback to both assessor and student. Discuss fine points. If necessary, look up rule in training materials to make problem area is well understood. Repeat process with each individual playing all the roles.