Westport Central School District

DIBELS

The DIBELS measures, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, are indicators of the essential early literacy skills that a child must master to become a good reader. The five essential skill areas are:

Phonemic Awareness: Hearing and using sounds spoken in words.
Alphabetic Principle and Phonics: Knowing the sound of letters and sounding out written words.
Fluency: The rate at which a passage is read
Vocabulary: Understanding and correctly using a variety of words.
Comprehension: Understanding what is spoken or read.

DIBELS is made up of seven short individual tests, called subtests. Each DIBELS subtest focuses on a different skill and takes about one minute to do. Your child may be given two to five of the DIBELS subtest depending on his or her grade level. Research has shown that children’s performance on DIBELS is a predictor of and strongly related to children’s reading success.

Our students are tested on DIBELS at least three times a year, in the fall, the winter and the spring. The results of these one minute assessments allow us to identify students who are “on track” for learning how to read, and also identify children who may need additional instructional support to meet reading goals. We also use DIBELS to monitor students who receive additional support by testing them every two weeks. These progress monitor assessments are one minute measures that help us to monitor a student’s progress and adjust instruction accordingly. We also use DIBELS to make decisions on how well our overall reading program is working for all children. DIBELS are not used to grade children, or decisions about retention.

We are working hard to make sure that every child is on target for success, and we thank you for your efforts at home. Together, we will help your child become a successful reader.

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