Case Study Undergraduate 1,079 words

DIBELS Assessment of a Sixth-Grade Reader: Fluency & Comprehension

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Abstract

This paper presents a DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment conducted with a sixth-grade student in a home setting. The assessment evaluated oral reading fluency and retell fluency across three passages. While the student met benchmark criteria for both fluency and comprehension, his reading speed was notably slow, and his retell performance varied with interest level and prior knowledge. The paper discusses the testing environment, score interpretation, and practical recommendations — including fluency-building strategies, comprehension instruction, and self-selected reading — to support the student's academic growth as he advances through school.

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What makes this paper effective

The paper grounds its analysis in specific, quantitative DIBELS data — error rates, words per minute, and retell scores — giving its conclusions an evidence-based foundation rather than relying on impressionistic observation.
It connects assessment findings directly to actionable recommendations, moving logically from scores to instructional implications such as fluency instruction, comprehension strategy use, and self-selected reading.
The author demonstrates reflective practice by acknowledging what could be improved in the testing process itself, such as time of day and potential fatigue effects.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper exemplifies criterion-referenced interpretation of assessment data. Rather than simply reporting raw scores, the author compares the student's performance against established DIBELS benchmarks and explains what those benchmarks mean for future academic success — a technique central to formative assessment practice in education.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with background on DIBELS and the student, then describes the testing setting and administration procedures. It reports and interprets ORF scores, followed by RTF scores, noting how interest and prior knowledge affected performance. The final two sections shift from diagnosis to prescription, offering concrete strategies for fluency and comprehension development drawn from cited research.

Overview of DIBELS and the Student

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures designed to assess the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. As emphasized by Kaminski, Cummings, Powell-Smith, and Good (2008), DIBELS is a generic indicator and represents a broader sequence of skills to be taught. I approached family friends about using DIBELS to test their younger son, a sixth-grade student. He is a high achiever with very good grades and a positive attitude about school. His best subject is math. His parents have been worried about his reading skills. Although he was previously tutored in reading, his parents still do not believe he has attained the proficiency of which they believe he is capable. I hoped DIBELS would demonstrate his reading strengths and weaknesses.

In talking with the student, I discovered he has a more extensive vocabulary than many of his sixth-grade peers. The household is multilingual and, in addition to English, two other languages are spoken at home. He attends evening classes twice a week, learning to read and write both Greek and Albanian.

Testing Environment and Administration

The testing took place in the family's home office. The room was comfortably warm, well lit, and painted in a light color — a good setting in which the student could focus on testing. He was prepared for the testing and was cooperative throughout, although he did not seem particularly enthusiastic about the process.

Oral Reading Fluency Results

For the Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) test, the student read three passages: "The Grand Canyon" (345 words / 3 errors), "Over the Rainbow" (348 words / 4 errors), and "Louis Erdrich" (321 words / 1 error). His error rates for the three passages were, respectively, 3/345 = .0086; 4/348 = .011; and 1/321 = .003. These percentages indicate he was able to read the passages at the Independent level. However, his reading speed was somewhat slow. (For this test, I allowed the student to complete his reading of each passage in its entirety; I did not stop him at the end of one minute.)

The student met the DIBELS benchmark score of 40 words per minute because he was able to read each passage in less than eight minutes. However, as he progresses through school he may have difficulty completing assigned readings within allotted time limits. Increased reading speed will facilitate greater academic success as he moves into the higher grades, where speed is especially important in advanced or honors classes and on standardized tests, including college aptitude tests.

3 Locked Sections · 485 words remaining

37% of this paper shown

Retell Fluency Results and Analysis · 175 words

"RTF scores and role of interest and prior knowledge"

Recommendations for Improving Reading Fluency · 155 words

"Strategies to address slow reading pace"

Recommendations for Comprehension Strategies · 155 words

"Comprehension instruction and self-selected reading advice"

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Key Concepts in This Paper

DIBELS Assessment Oral Reading Fluency Retell Fluency Benchmark Scores Reading Speed Prior Knowledge Comprehension Strategies Formative Assessment Fluency Instruction Self-Selected Reading