These quick and easy tests are from the Agility with Sound assessment. Between them, they tell you most of what you need to know about where reading and spelling are breaking down, and indicate the route forward for the child.
They do not measure underlying cognitive difficulties, and they do not indicate dyslexia. There are further indicative tests in the Assessment kit, but for a comprehensive diagnosis you may need a full professional assessment.
The Decoding Test
This is much the most revealing of these tests. For students who are well below, you will probably only need to print the first and second sheets. Print in landscape mode.
This video shows you how to administer and interpret this test.
The First Spelling Test
This test tells you how the child perceives sounds in words, and tells you which of the simplest sound – letter patterns the child knows, and knows well. Print in landscape mode.
This video shows you how to administer and interpret this test.
The Advanced Spelling Test
This covers vowel digraphs and other more advanced patterns. Do not give this test to children who struggled on the previous one. Print in portrait mode.
This video shows you how to administer and interpret this test.
How to Measure Progress
Running records measure progress along the Ready to Read sequence of learning. Agility with Sound is a different sequence, a sequence for children who have not succeeded by the traditional route. This video shows how to measure progress along the Agility with Sound sequence.