Informal Reading Inventories

• A series of graded reading passages that students read and answer questions about.
• Published as stand alone packets
• Teacher made
• Published as part of a basal series
• Advantage - generally valid
• Disadvantage - too few comprehension questions

IRI's approximately assess three reading levels

• Independent reading level
  • Comfortable reading - no help
    • 98+% accuracy
    • 90+% comprehension
• Instructional reading level
  • Reading with direction and supervision
    • 95-98% accuracy
    • 70-89% comprehension
• Frustration reading level
  • Unable to read
    • > 90% accuracy
    • > 70% comprehension

Step One

• Determine approximate instructional level
• Use word lists or
• Begin based on grade level
• Choose appropriate passage

Step Two

• Assess Background Knowledge
  • Ask the concept questions and rate answers (page 39 and 40 in QRI)

Step Three

• Read the title and have student make a prediction

Step Four

• Have student read text and mark miscues/errors while they read (time reading!)
• Substitutions (write sub word over text)
• Additions (write added word with carat)
• Omissions (line through omitted word)
• Mispronunciations (write mispron. over text)
• Repetitions (write #R over word)
• Words pronounced by examiner (write E over word)

Step Five

• Have student retell story
• Mark each item student reiterates in the retelling
• Figure the percentage of accuracy (# items remembered divided by total number of items in story)

Step Six

• Ask comprehension questions
• Mark with a check if answered correctly
• Mark with a minus if answered incorrectly

Step Seven

• Evaluate the student's performance and make a plan of action.