Informal Reading Inventories and other Measures of Oral Reading 
Stahl, K. A. D., Flanigan, K., & McKenna, M. C. (2020). Informal reading inventories and other measures of oral reading. Assessment for reading instruction (pp. 42-79). New York: Guilford.
Slide One: 
This PowerPoint presentation highlights important information from the chapter Informal reading inventories and other measures of oral reading written by Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl, Kevin Flanigan, and Michael C. McKenna. It comes from their book Assessment for Reading Instruction. It covers pages 42  55. 
Slide Two: 
The chapter objectives are: (1)state the questions teachers raise about childrens reading which can be answered though an Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) assessment; (2) describe the components of an Informal Reading Inventory and state the purposes of each; (3) explain the basic guidelines for administering an IRI; and (4) explain the basic procedures for scoring and interpreting results of an IRI.
Slide Three: 
We have read the chapter Introduction to Reading Assessment, which includes the cognitive model of reading, and we discussed how we can use the model systematically to ask ourselves questions about the three pathways  automatic word recognition, language comprehension, and strategic knowledge. These questions can be used to guide us through the assessment process. (Do note that some questions may prove unnecessary; for example, a child with strong decoding skills can be assumed to have acquired adequate phonological awareness.) 
Many of the questions we ask about our students reading related to the three pathways can be answered through oral reading samples from an Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) or from running records. See the expanded list of questions on pages 42 and 43 of this chapter; and note how an informal reading inventory answers many questions. Other questions can be answered though the use of other parts of an IRI such as silent reading comprehension and listening comprehension skills. Because Informal Reading Inventories provides us with rich information regarding a childs strengths and needs, an IRI is considered a cornerstone of the reading assessment process; that is, it is one of the most important assessments. In addition to being a diagnostic assessment, an IRI can serve as a screening assessment, but it must be complemented by more targeted measures (e.g. a decoding assessment). Other targeted assessments are used to confirm, elaborate, or explain the results gathered from an IRI. 
Slide Four: 
Many schools use computer-based assessments for assessing childrens reading skills. However, listening to a child read aloud provides insights that computer-based assessments cannot capture. Listening to a child read aloud reveals how the child reads, not just what they can answer. Hearing a child read aloud offers teachers richer, more diagnostic information. It helps to pinpoint specific instructional needs and strengths of the reader that a computer might overlook. Like the authors of this chapter note, the results of a traditional IRI are needed to inform the instruction of any child with serous reading difficulties. 
Slide Five: 
What is an Informal Reading Inventory? IRIs originated from the work of Emmett A. Betts and Patsy A. Kilgallon, Betts doctoral student, and is still used to determine three oral reading levels  independent, instructional, and frustration  as well as a listening capacity level. It is individually administered, and it is composed of a series of graded passages that the student reads aloud to the examiner. They typically begin at the pre-primer level, which is equivalent to beginning of first grade. All of the grade-level passages are aligned to text-level equivalency or Lexile. Most IRIs also include graded word lists that are used to estimate which level passage to begin with. As the child reads aloud a passage, the examiner notes oral reading errors, using a code system that others would understand (e.g. circling omitted words). Then the examiner asks comprehension questions when the student has finished reading each passage. Factual, inferential, and word meaning questions accompany passages. Many IRI passages include a retelling checklist as well. For each passage read, the teacher judges whether the passage is on the childs independent, instructional, or frustration level; this is based on word recognition accuracy and comprehension questions scores. Most IRIs include silent reading passages, and some provide passages that are read to the student to determine a listening comprehension level, along with comprehension questions for each. 
Slide Six: 
Students are assigned reading levels though administering an IRI. The classification is still widely used in many commercial IRIs. 
The Independent level is the highest level at which a child can read the material without assistance. The child can read with 99% accuracy (word recognition) and with at least 90% comprehension. Reading at the independent level helps build fluency and positive, self-directed reading. 
The Instructional level is the highest level at which a child could benefit from instructional support. The child can read with 95-98% oral accuracy and with at least 75% comprehension. Explicit teaching is done using texts at the readers instructional level. The instructional level can span more than one grade; when this happens, report as a range (e.g. 4-6 grade level). Some IRIs or Reading Records note W.R. in context as 90-94% for beginning readers, so pay close attention to the criteria used for the IRI you are using. 
Gray area: This falls between the instructional and frustration reading levels. The teacher should use best judgement to continue testing; if the reader is interested, continue. Word Recognition in context is 91  94%; Comprehension questions: 51-74%
Frustration level is any level at which a child is likely to be frustrated, even with instructional support. The student has many word recognition and comprehension errors. Word Recognition in context: 90% or lower; Comprehension questions: 50% or lower.
Slide Seven: 
Lets consider important things to remember, some cautions about using strict application of criteria. 
Do not think too narrowly about levels; dont block readers progress rather than helping them advance. Research indicates children can make accelerated progress when reading texts considerably above their instructional level when provided with supportive instruction (Brown et al., 2018). If a student is highly interested and/or has deep background knowledge, these strengths help with word identification and staying focused.
Remember to consider Vygotskys (1978) zone of proximal development (ZPD). The bottom end of the zone (easy material) is the level at which a child can read independently. The top end of the ZPD (the most difficult) is the most challenging level, at which children can work successfully with extensive teacher support (e.g. repeated readings or assisted readings of various kinds or through comprehension support). To help close the achievement gap, it is essential for low-level readers to be exposed to texts above their instructional level in supportive settings (e.g. one-on-one). This does not mean all students can read all texts. 
Use information paired with what you learn from an Interests Inventory to help narrow down the search for the right books for independent reading and guided reading instruction. 
Slide Eight: 
Starting on page 48 of this chapter, you will find the guidelines for administering an IRI. Lets consider the overall strategy for giving an IRI. First, estimate the childs independent reading level. Use available evidence you have such as classroom performance or results of a previous IRI; or give the Graded Word Lists of the IRI and consider the highest word list on which no words are missed to be a tentative estimate of the independent reading level. Next, administer the passage corresponding to your estimate of the independent level. Have the child read this passage as you code reading errors. Then assess comprehension by asking the reader to do a retelling and ask the comprehension questions. Use the scoring criteria to determine if the passage is at the independent level by considering both word recognition and comprehension questions scores. Then, decide which passage to administer next. If the initial passage is above the childs independent reading level, you must proceed to simpler passages until the independent level is reached. If the initial passage is at the childs independent level, proceed to more difficult passage until the frustration level is reached. Each time you complete a passage, you must decide which passage to give next or if you should stop. 
Slide Nine: 
Lets now consider the Strategy for Administering the Word Lists. Both word recognition in isolation and word recognition in context are important information sources. 
First, begin the word lists at the beginning for young students and approximately two years below the grade level of older students. Give older students all lists if they lack confidence or if you know they are reading more than two grade levels below their current grade placement. 
Second, you may administer a timed slide show of a single graded word list, or you may present the words on a printed piece of paper for the child to read from. Be sure you only show one list at a time so you do not overwhelm a child. On the teacher form, record a check for correct responses and record the substitution or phonetic representations of incorrect responses. Write no response or skipped next to words the child does not attempt to pronounce. 
At the end of each list, decide whether to go up or down to the next list or to stop. Begin passage reading at the highest grade level where the student scored 80% or better on the flash word recognition. However, to ensure success with reading, it is best to start passages at the highest level at which a child does not miss any of the words on the word list. 
Slide Ten:  
Lets consider the Strategy for Giving Each Passage
> Audio-record the entire passage administration. That way you can go back and make sure you have documented everything on the teachers form correctly. 
> Briefly prepare the student by asking a question that taps prior knowledge or by identifying the topic. Many IRI passages have Prior Knowledge questions. These help the student to think about what they will be reading about. 
> Ask the student to read the passage aloud or silently from the student form, not the teacher form. Remind the student to read carefully and let the student know you will ask questions at the end and have the student do a retelling. 
> If the student reads at mid-first-grade level or beyond, note the exact beginning time. 
> Code oral miscues on the teacher form as the child reads.
> If a student hesitates too long (3  5 seconds), supply the word.
> Discontinue the passage and do not ask the questions if:
o The passage is so difficult that you believe it to be at the frustration level.
o You have had to supply too many words.
o The reading rate has dropped significantly.
> If you are recording reading rate, note the exact time the child finishes reading.
> Ask the child to retell the text as though he or she is telling it to someone who has not heard it. 
> Ask the comprehension questions. Re-word questions if you think it will help communicate what a given question asks. Probe for more information if a student needs to provide more information when answering a question. Allow readers to refer back to the passage when answering questions (note next to question they used look backs to answer).
> Use the appropriate formula to calculate the words read correctly per minute (WCPM) for oral reading or words per minute (WPM) for silent reading. 
> Use fluency norms to determine proficiency. (These norms are included in this chapters content folder in Folio. 

      WCPM = 60 x (Number of words in passage  errors) 
				Number of seconds needed to read passage.
      
      WPM = 60 x    Number of words in passage
      Number of seconds needed to read passage.

> Use the scoring guide to determine if the passage is at the childs independent, instructional, or frustration range using the scoring guidelines.

Slide 11: 
Coding Oral Reading. As the child reads a passage, mark departures from the printed text. Just putting an x over a word does not give you information to later analyze. By using a code you can analyze the reading at a deeper level though a miscue analysis, something we will discuss in a different PowerPoint presentation. Major miscues include:
1. Omission: A word is skipped. (Code by circling the word). 
2. Insertion: The reader says a word or phrase that is not in the text.
3. Substitution: The reader replaces a printed word with another.
4. Reversal: The reader changes the order of the printed word (e.g. was for saw)
5. Teacher-supplied word: The reader hesitates long enough that the teacher tells the word to keep the process moving.
6. Repetition: The reader repeats a word or phrase, sometimes for better enunciation, sometimes to monitor comprehension.
7. Ignoring punctuation: The reader ignores commas, periods, question marks, and so forth, so that the oral reading is not meaningful and fluent, even though word accuracy may be quite high. 
8. Hesitation: The reader hesitates, but not long enough that the teacher pronounces the word. 
9. Self-correction: The child rereads one or more words in order to correct an error.
Note the coding system on pages 51and 52 of this chapter. There are some slight variations among IRIs. The key is being consistent so you can analyze the reading. 

Slide 12: 
Counting Miscues. As pointed out in the chapter there is question about which miscues should be counted. For this course, use these guidelines. 
> Omissions, insertions, substitutions, reversals, teacher-supplied words should count as miscues.
> Do not count repetitions, self-corrections, hesitations, or ignoring punctuation. It is important to code these, but do not count them in the tally. 
> Multiple miscues on the same word only count as one miscue.
> Pronunciations due to dialect differences or regional pronunciation will not count as miscues (e.g. goin instead of going; ax instead of ask; rule instead rural). 
> Substitutions of difficult proper nouns will not count as miscues. 

Slide 13: 
GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING THE RESULTS OF AN IRI
1. Classify each passage given as independent, instructional, or frustration level. See the examples towards the bottom of this slide. The first three examples are clear cut. Independent range for word recognition and independent range for comprehension questions, the overall score is obviously independent. Lets consider the fourth example. If word recognition is independent, but the comprehension questions score is Instructional, then the overall score for this passage is instructional. Lets now consider the fifth example; if word recognition is instructional and comprehension questions score is frustration, the overall score for the passage is frustration. When putting together word recognition scores and comprehension scores to determine the overall level for each passage, go with the lowest of the two scores. 
2. Estimate the independent level to be the highest level at which the overall judgement is independent.
3. Estimate the instructional level to be the highest level at which the overall judgement is instructional. Remember though, you can also report the instructional level as a range. 
4. Estimate the frustration level to be the lowest level at hich the overall judgement is Frustration.
5. Ambiguous results are not unusual, especially above grade 2 when more factors are considered (oral and silent reading, narrative and expository, familiar and unfamiliar content). When scores are in the gray area, we must dig deeper into other information (e.g. word recognition data, fluency, retelling). 
Note the other examples on pages 54-55 of the chapter for helping you to understand how to determine a childs independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels. 
Slide 14: 
The purpose of a Listening Comprehension assessment is to determine how well a student comprehends through listening.
> This is the level at which the student can satisfactorily comprehend material that has been read to him or her. 
> This level provides rough estimate of the students receptive language comprehension and is often used as a measure of the students potential reading level. In other words, if the child has the skills to read fluently at this level (as the teacher would do when reading aloud the passage) they would be able to comprehend at this level. 
> The Listening Level is defined as the highest passage at which comprehension of the passage read aloud to the child is at least 75%.
> This test is often started when the student reaches frustration on reading orally and silently. 
Slide 15: 
Click on the link to watch a video example of a teacher administering parts of an IRI with a third-grade reader. 

