The Phonetic Word Reading Test
Directions: Start at the beginning, and ask the student to read each word. Use praise and encouragement liberally, both for getting words right and for trying them. Let the student know it’s fine to say “I don’t know” for any word. The words are divided (by line skips) into groups of 5. Keep going until the student misses all five words in one of the groups of five. Total up the number of words the student has read correctly. This is the raw score for each test.
1. bat
2. ban
3. tap
4. lag
5. sad
6. jam
7. tab
8. nap
9. pet
10. leg
11. bit
12. sin
13. nod
14. hog
15. fun
16. tub
17. can
18. kid
19. pick
20. lock
21. land
22. test
23. rests
24. jumps
25. next
26. winks
27. plump
28. blend
29. crust
30. strap
31. this
32. that
33. thick
34. thrill
35. quill
36. quack
37. whip
38. whet
39. rush
40. shell
41. pinch
42. chest
43. said
44. they
45. steal
46. free
47. broom
48. roof
49. foot
50. wood
51. yard
52. sharp
53. storm
54. north
55. clerk
56. firm
57. point
58. hoist
59. sound
60. gown
61. jaw
62. haul
63. malt
64. aim
65. lay
66. blind
67. dried
68. blown
69. loan
70. blue
71. stew
72. cape
73. rate
74. care
75. snare
76. shine
77. file
78. cope
79. tone
80. duke
81. brute
82. unfit
83. locket
84. again
85. laugh
86. slipper
87. peddler
88. dipping
89. fading
90. party
91. carries
92. shouted
93. seated
94. robbed
95. hitched
96. bathing
97. bother
98. hobble
99. mangle
100. place
101. truce
102. dodge
103. urgent
104. pause
105. noise
106. knob
107. gnat
108. hour
109. daughter
110. sigh
111. sleigh
112. phrase
113. phone
114. enough
115. roughly
116. bread
117. dreaded
118. learn
119. steak
120. field
121. belief
122. bullet
123. awful
124. marvelous
125. touch
126. water
127. watch
128. station
129. delicious
130. traitor
131. active
132. influence
133. handsome
134. innocence
135. exclaiming
The number of words the student got correct (in the left column) corresponds to the approximate grade level (in the right column). The first digit in the grade level score refers to the grade, and the second refers to the fraction of a year’s progress made toward the next grade level. So 0.9 is the average level after nine-tenths of the kindergarten year is complete; 2.3 is the average level after three tenths of the second grade year is complete, and so forth.
score grade level
0 Below 0.9
1 0.9
2 0.9
3 1.0
4 1.0
5 1.0
6 1.0
7 1.1
8 1.1
9 1.1
10 1.1
11 1.2
12 1.2
13 1.2
14 1.2
15 1.3
16 1.3
17 1.3
18 1.3
19 1.4
20 1.4
21 1.4
22 1.4
23 1.5
24 1.5
25 1.5
26 1.5
27 1.6
28 1.6
29 1.6
30 1.6
31 1.7
32 1.7
33 1.7
34 1.8
35 1.8
36 1.8
37 1.8
38 1.9
39 1.9
40 1.9
41 1.9
42 2.0
43 2.0
44 2.0
45 2.0
46 2.1
47 2.1
48 2.1
49 2.1
50 2.2
51 2.2
52 2.2
53 2.2
54 2.3
55 2.3
56 2.3
57 2.3
58 2.4
59 2.4
60 2.4
61 2.4
62 2.5
63 2.5
64 2.5
65 2.5
66 2.6
67 2.6
68 2.6
69 2.6
70 2.7
71 2.7
72 2.7
73 2.7
74 2.8
75 2.8
76 2.8
77 2.8
78 2.9
79 2.9
80 2.9
81 2.9
82 3.0
83 3.0
84 3.0
85 3.0
86 3.1
87 3.1
88 3.1
89 3.1
90 3.2
91 3.2
92 3.2
93 3.2
94 3.3
95 3.3
96 3.3
97 3.3
98 3.4
99 3.4
100 3.4
101 3.4
102 3.5
103 3.5
104 3.5
105 3.5
106 3.6
107 3.6
108 3.6
109 3.6
110 3.7
111 3.7
112 3.7
113 3.7
114 3.8
115 3.8
116 3.8
117 3.9
118 3.9
119 3.9
120 3.9
121 or above: 4th grade level or above
raw score:_________
grade level: