About the web-based Reading Screening Evaluation
The Reading Screening procedure is comprised of 14 different tasks. Each
of these tasks has its roots in research. One of the most important aspects of this
research was examining which tasks provide the best accuracy in identifying children
who will or currently have reading difficulties from children who will not or do
not have reading difficulties.
Before the Reading Screening web site could be written for individuals
to use, a large norming sample had to be developed so that a child's performance
could be compared to a standard that reflected how well children of specific ages
performed in reading and the subtasks that are required for reading. Over 4,000
children have been assessed with the Reading Screening system. From earlier research,
we know that when a child performs poorly on several of the tasks, he or she is
likely to experience reading difficulties as well.
One of the most important requirements of the Reading Screening is that
the individual who is administering the Reading Screening and who is reporting the
child or student's performance be as honest as possible and that he or she does
not help the child do better than he or she normally would. Please
keep in mind that the integrity of the results is completely dependent on the accuracy
and honesty of your reporting of your child or student's performance.
The Reading Screening involves tasks that tap the child's phonological
processing ability, his or her knowledge of letters, sounds, words, and his or her
ability to use this information to gain comprehension from text. These skills were
identified, and the tasks were created to measure these skills, based on a program
of research that extended over nearly two decades.