AUTOreading
AUTOreading emerged from many years of research as a fully automated, computer-administered measure of decoding, word identification, and comprehension. It can be used both for universal screening and progress monitoring. AUTOreading includes eight individual subtests of 30 items, with one to four subtests recommended per grade level, to measure students’ accuracy and automaticity.
AUTOreading Subtests
All AUTOreading subtests align to the Common Core State Standards.
- Letter Names: Measures whether a student can accurately and automatically identify all upper- and lowercase letter names
- Letter Sounds: Assesses a student’s accuracy and automaticity with identifying all letter sounds, including the dual sounds for /c/ and /g/
- Encoding: Measures if a student can accurately and automatically encode the appropriate spelling for a given word based on appropriate sound-spelling correspondence
- Word Identification: Assesses a student’s accuracy and automaticity with identifying frequently occurring words
- Vocabulary: Measures how well students know definitions of tier 2 words, or words that are used in multiple contexts but may require some vocabulary instruction to achieve understanding
- Matching Synonyms: Assesses students’ accuracy and speed in matching words that are similar in meaning
- Decoding: Measures a student’s accuracy and automaticity with reading decodable nonsense words that represent appropriate developmental progress in word reading
- Morphology: Assesses whether a student can accurately and automatically identify word structures and relationships based on the appropriate use of morphemes, roots, and affixes
Each of these subtests was created to measure students’ accuracy in reading skills and their response times. While the subtests are untimed, each item is presented to the student for approximately six seconds.
Screening
When used for screening, specific subtests should be used together to generate a composite score, with the screening subtests varying by grade level.
| Grades | Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | Letter Naming Letter Sounds | Letter Naming Letter Sounds | Letter Naming Letter Sounds |
| 1-4 | Encoding Word Identification Vocabulary | Encoding Word Identification Vocabulary | Encoding Word Identification Vocabulary |
| 5-12 | Word Identification Decoding Matching Synonyms Morphology | Word Identification Decoding Matching Synonyms Morphology | Word Identification Decoding Matching Synonyms Morphology |
Progress Monitoring
When used for progress monitoring, one AUTOreading subtest is selected. Selection of the best subtest for progress monitoring should be based on the specific reading skill that the student is learning as part of an intervention.
Administration
Students complete AUTOreading using a computer or tablet device that is connected to the internet and attached to headphones. Audio is provided to the student, which might be a letter name, word, or definition, that is followed by multiple choices. Color shading on each option changes from green to yellow to red over a period of 6 seconds. The student is encouraged to respond quickly and accurately.
