DIBELS:
More Than Just a Number

 The goal of reading instruction is to have skillful readers.  Skillful readers demonstrate:

(1)               Accuracy (reading words with the correct sounds)

(2)              Automaticity (instantly knowing what the word is)

(3)              Fluency (reading like we talk)

(4)              Active Building of Meaning (understanding what we read)

(5)              Self-Regulation (using strategies to help us when things don’t make sense or we don’t know a word)

Every 1^st and 2^nd grader in the state of Alabama, as well as, kindergarteners, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders in the Auburn City Schools System are given this test.  DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) benchmarks (3 times a year) and progress monitoring (done regularly by the classroom teacher) are given because they are indicators of a child’s reading success.  Through these quick 1-minute assessments, decisions are made on how to most effectively teach each child in order to create a skillful reader and parents can easily be informed on their child’s reading progress. 

Fluency is the ability to read text easily, quickly, and with expression.  By working on (1) accuracy, (2) automaticity, (3) grouping words in meaningful phrases, (4) expression, (5) emphasis of important words, and (6) actively building and self-regulating meaning, we can help students become more skillful readers.   If we students work on these things, the numbers will come.   

The following DIBELS Tests are given: 

•  Letter Naming Fluency- This assessment tests how many letters of the alphabet your child can identify correctly in one minute. In the beginning of first grade, students who are able to name at least 37 letters correctly in one minute are typically successful in achieving early literacy benchmarks (1^st grade only).

• Phoneme Segmentation Fluency- This assessment tests your child’s knowledge of sounds that letters make. In the beginning of first grade, students should have 35-45 sounds per minute correct on this assessment (1^st grade only).

• Nonsense Word Fluency- In the beginning of first grade, students should be acquiring the alphabetic principle skills and should be able to read 24 or more letter sounds per minute on the Nonsense Word Fluency test.   By the middle of first grade, students should be acquiring alphabetic principle skills of 50 or more on this test.  In addition, we want students to, not only say the sounds of the word, but read the word itself (1^st and 2^nd grade only).

•  Oral Reading Fluency-In the winter of first grade, students should begin reading passages to demonstrate continual knowledge of the alphabetic principle and demonstrating fluency (reading like we talk).  By the winter of first grade, students should be able to read 20 words per minute or more.  This number gradually increases throughout the grades (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th). 

Dibels Guidelines