Reading and word meaning assessments

Quick and easy adult reading assessments from the Ohio Literacy Alliance

The Ohio Literacy Alliance (OLA) is a partnership between two of Ohio's largest institutions of higher education and leaders in education research - Kent State University and The Ohio State University. OLA is a literacy change agent charged with developing cutting edge research, resources, and professional development activities with concentration in the language arts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening for teachers and practitioners in family literacy, K-12 (public and private), and adult basic and literacy education.

They developed a series of graded reading passages with adminsitration guidelines to help you determine some reading strengths and weanknesses. Administering the graded passages is simple and straightforward. You simply ask  students to read a grade­ level passage to you and ask them to recall what they remember from the passage after it has been read. While students read and recall the passage, you  monitor their performance for word recognition, fluency, and comprehension. 

Even quicker word meaning screening tests

If you only have a few minutes during intake and need a quick indicator of reading level, use one of two word meaning tests. Each one uses graded lists of vocabulary that are aligned with grade level equivalencies. Both contain directions for administration and scoring. These tests identify the highest grade level at which a learner can correctly define words, which directly corresponds to their functional reading level. 

Both tests cover K-12 grade level equivalencies.

Reading comprehension and reading strategies self-assessments

Reading comprehension strategies improve understanding, retention, and engagement by teaching readers to actively interact with text rather than passively scanning it. Both learners and educators can use these self-assessments to recognize the numerous ways to be more active readers.

Fluency assessments

Reading fluency—the ability to read accurately, quickly, and with proper expression—is crucial because it bridges word recognition and comprehension. By automating decoding, fluent readers free up cognitive resources to focus on meaning, enabling them to understand, analyze, and enjoy texts rather than struggling with individual words. 

Use the assessment with readers at Stages 1 and 2. The passages have grade level equivalencies from grades 1 to 8.