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Emergent/Beginner Assessment JMU Student____________________

READ 366 Childs Grade Level_______________

Because students in READ 366 are assessing children in Preschool, Kindergarten, and First grade,
this assessment is a combination of tasks that can be used across the grade levels. Not all tasks will be
completed for all students, however part of the tasks will be completed for each child assessed. This
assessment is made up of tasks from Words Their Way (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston,
2012) and tasks from PALS Quick Checks (Invernizzi, Sullivan, Meier, Swank, 2004).

If a task is begun and the child is missing all of the correct answers for the first 3-5 questions, stop
that task.

1.Picture and Name Task (for Pre-K)

Have him/her draw a picture on a blank sheet of paper and write her/his name at the bottom. Have
the child tell you about the picture and you write down on another piece of paper what he/she tells
you about the picture.
Comments:

2.Concepts About Print Task (for Pre-K)

If the child is a preschooler and you know is not reading on their own yet, complete this task with a
level C or D book or another simple book. Begin by telling the child that you are going to read him/her
a book and he/she is going to help you. As you hand the child the book to look at, ask the following
questions and then begin reading as you ask more of the questions.
_____ Show me the front of the book
_____ Show me the back of the book
_____ Show me the title of the story (then read the title to the child)
_____ Show me where we would begin reading the story
_____ As you finish reading a page, show me a picture
_____ After reading another page, show me a letter
_____ Show me a word
_____ Show me the first letter in a word
_____ Show me the last letter in a word
_____ Show me how I would read this page (directionality)
_____ Show me an upper-case letter
_____ Point to a period, what is this?
TOTAL ____/12
Comments:

3.Rhyme (From Words Their Way) (for pre-K, K, and 1)

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Show the child the sheet with rhyming words and cover everything but the line you are working with
at the time. Use the first one with the star as the model and you show the two rhyming words. Have
child find the two words that rhyme on each line.
1. _____ 2. _____ 3. _____ 4. _____
5. _____ 6. _____ 7. _____ 8. _____
9. _____
TOTAL _____/9
Comments:

4. Alphabetics (From Words Their Way) (for pre-K and K)

Letter Identification
1. If in Pre-K, the upper-case task may be more appropriate for the student if he/she knows some of
the alphabet. From the large letter sheet, point to each letter and have the child identify the letters.
Mark through any letters the child says incorrectly and write what the child says beside the letter.
M P S O X N A F G K L T U C Y
B I V D J E Q R Z H W TOTAL ____/26
Comments:

If in Kindergarten, use the lower-case letters only for letter identification. From the large letter sheet,
point to each letter and have the child identify the letters. Mark through any letters the child says
incorrectly and write what the child says beside the letter.
m p s o x n a f g k l t u c y
b i v d j e q r z h w TOTAL ____/26
Comments:

Letter Production (for Pre-K and K)Call out the sequence of letters as above. Ask the student to
write the letters. Accept either upper or lowercase letters. Reversals are scored as correct, but noted.
m p s o x n a f g k l t u c y
b i v d j e q r z h w TOTAL ____/26
Comments:

Letter-Sound Production (for Pre-K and K)From Letter-Sound Production sheet point to each letter
or combination of and have child tell the sound the letters make. Mark through any sound the child
says incorrectly and write what the child says beside the letter.
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B S R F W T O J A H K Sh V I P
Z L C Th U E D Y G N Ch TOTAL ____/26
Comments:
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