In order for students to become fluent readers, they need to develop a large base of known sight words. There are so many amazing resources and activities available online for fun ways to practice sight words, but how should we be assessing students’ sight word mastery? Teachers need to be using a sight word assessment to progress monitor students’ sight words mastery on a regular basis. Find out about an easy and free way to assess your students’ sight word knowledge!
Informal Assessment During Guided Reading
Sight words practice is typically included into the daily guided reading routine. This may include doing a quick write on whiteboards to practice known sight words or playing a fun review game. (For ideas of the sight word games I play check out the blog post!) During these activities, teachers can informally assess students to see which words they know automatically and which are still unknown.
Teachers may want to use data graphs to track the sight words that students can read and/or write. For each guided reading group, I have two separate data graphs: one to track words they can read and one for words they can write. I like to track these skills separately since students’ mastery of words they can read and write will vary. These graphs include the Dolch sight words that students are currently working on mastering: PrePrimer, Primer, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, or 3rd Grade list.
As students complete the sight word activities during guided reading, teachers can use the data graphs to document each individual student’s success with reading and/or writing the word. If they are able to read or write the word quick and accurately, I give them a check in the box next to the corresponding sight word. If they are incorrect or hesitant with the word I give them an X. As you can see from the picture above students will have multiple checks and Xs next to each word. This informal sight word assessment helps determine which words to be practicing with students each day.
Formal Assessment for RTI Data Binders
Progress monitoring using formal assessments and data binders are a crucial component of all RTI interventions. Ideally, a formal sight word assessment should be administered at least once a month to progress monitor students’ growth with their sight word mastery.
To administer this sight word assessment, the teacher should find time to work with each student one-on-one for the most accurate results. Obviously it may take longer for classroom teachers to administer the assessment. If you’re fortunate enough to have a teacher assistant they can assist with this.
During the assessment, the students read each flashcard with sight words at their Dolch level. As they read the words, separate them into 3 separate piles as shown above: Nailed It!, Almost, Not Yet. If they are able to read the word quickly and accurately, it is placed in the Nailed It! pile. Words that are read incorrectly go in the Not Yet pile. If a student hesitates on a word, reads it incorrectly but self corrects, or needs to sound it out it should be placed in the Almost pile. This helps make sure you are only tracking the words that students have definitely mastered.
Sight Word Data Graphs
After administering the assessment, teachers can complete the data graphs for each student. As mentioned above, the data graphs include the Dolch sight word lists: PrePrimer, Primer, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade. The list used for each student will depend on their current reading and ability level.
The data graphs document which month the students mastered the sight words. Each month is given a different color on the graphs to provide a quick visual overview of when the students mastered the sight words. For example, the words the students mastered in September are colored red. Teachers will want to write the number of newly mastered sight words at the bottom of the graph. This helps identify any trends of students who are progressing as expected or below expectations and allows teachers to adjust instruction according to students’ individual needs.
Do you want to use this sight words assessment with your students? Be sure to complete the form below to download this free resource! Or you may also be interested in EDITABLE sight word flashcards to help students practice their sight words.
How do you assess sight words? Do you assess your students monthly or weekly? Please share with us in the comments below!
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I really like this color-coded approach to tracking Sight Word progress!