We examined which of two instruments (Text Reading and Comprehension inventory [TRC] or a traditional informal reading inventory [IRI]) provides the more valid assessment of a primary-grade student's reading instructional level. The TRC is currently the required, benchmark reading assessment for students in grades K-3 in the state of North…

The present study investigated some psychometric properties of the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI), a widely used informal reading inventory. The BRI and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) probes were administered to 149 third, fourth, and fifth graders. Test--retest and alternate forms reliability analyses indicated adequate…

This study investigated the reliability and validity of Part 1 of the Informal Decoding Inventory (IDI), a free diagnostic assessment used to plan Tier 2 intervention for first graders with decoding deficits. Part 1 addresses single-syllable words and consists of five subtests that progress in difficulty and that contain real word and pseudoword…

The authors discuss and evaluate the methods of assigning reading levels. They conclude that newer and more accurate standards must be found. (MR)

Reviews the Sucher-Allred Group Reading Placement, used to determine the instructional reading level for students in grades 2-12. Concludes that the test correlates well with other standard tests and is useful as an informal reading inventory. (RS)

A study of the extent to which two popular Published Reading Inventories (PRIs) identify the same instructional level when administered to 50 children in grades 1 through 7 demonstrate a significant lack of congruence between the instruments, particularly at the intermediate grade levels. (Author/CL)

Five informal reading inventories and one standardized test containing graded reading passages were reviewed to determine their readability estimates. (HOD)

A study analyzed the validity of inferential, cause/effect, and main idea questions which were asked in five selected commercial informal reading inventories (IRIs). The inventories were "Analytical Reading Inventory (3rd Edition),""Basic Reading Inventory (4th Edition)"; "Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory (3rd…

Confirms previous findings that the word recognition criterion for instructional reading level should be set at about 95 percent for students reading at grade levels one through six. (FL)

Argues that informal reading inventories fail on several points to provide accurate and reliable scores on the subskills of reading. Asserts that the inventories cannot properly be used to assess children's specific strengths and weaknesses. (FL)

Describes a procedure that allows teachers to identify and order the instructional needs of children through the use of an informal reading inventory. (FL)

The article reviews validity and reliability studies on the informal reading inventory, a diagnostic instrument to identify reading grade-level placement and strengths and weaknesses in work recognition and comprehension. Gives suggestions to improve the validity and reliability of existing inventories and to evaluate them in newly published…

Reports findings of a study that compared the scores on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests with information from an informal reading inventory, from the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales, and from the Slosson Oral Reading Test. (FL)

Finds a number of problems with the test and concludes that there is little real advantage to using it in preference to other published informal reading inventories now available. (FL)

Three commonly used informal reading inventories were examined to determine the extent to which their comprehension test questions were passage independent, and could be answered correctly without reading the passages on which they were based. Fourth graders were given the questions orally without access to the passages. The percentage of…