How to Administer an
INFORMAL READING INVENTORY

NOTE:  This page is under construction based on the new Adult Informal Reading Inventory KAELI adopted 2004/2005.

Before the inventory:

1.  Develop rapport with the student.   

2.  The setting in which you administer the IRI should be as quiet and isolated as possible.  Try to speak in a relaxed tone and reassure the student constantly that they are doing great.  NO student should leave this setting feeling badly or that they have not done well. 

3.  For students reading at grade 1 and 2 you should used individual index cards for each of the twenty words on the lists you will need.  The words should be printed in black ink in GOOD manuscript (printing) handwriting.  The words should be large and clear.  You will need to prepare these sets of cards in advance.  Since you don’t know the exact ending level, you should be prepared by having preprimer, primer, first, second, and third word lists on cards. 

4.  If you are administering the IRI to a student reading at grade 3 or above, you can use the word list in the book.  Provide the student with a cardboard (or stiff board) marker to put under each word as he or she reads it. 

5.  Have all of your copies ready BEFORE you begin your session with the student.  You will need student copies of all the word lists you think you will “reasonably need.”  In other words, if you are administering an IRI to a student reading at third level would be reasonable that you would need word lists and graded passages for preprimer, primer, first, second, third, and fourth (possible listening level).  You will also need copies of all the “TEACHER” forms that go with those words lists and graded passages.  Copies of all summary sheets will also be needed.

Administering the GRADED WORD LISTS

Explain to the student that they will be reading a list of words.  Tell the student that while they are reading you are going to be making some notes.  You should try to mark your list discretely.  USING A TAPE RECORDED REALLY HELPS so that you don’t have to make lots of notations in front of the student.  Then you can reply the tape as many times as necessary to check for accurate markings.

1.  READ page 14 and 15 numbers 1 through 6.  These passages provide instructions for how to MARK the Word List Scoring Guide (pages 58, 59, 60). 

2.  Start the graded word list at least two years below the student’s grade in school.  IF there is ANY miscue on that list, drop to an easier level and continue to drop to lower levels until there are NO miscues or you are at preprimer level.  (p. 15)

3.  The HIGHEST level word list on which the student makes NO errors is the level at which you should start administering the graded passages. 

4.  You continue asking the student to read the word lists until you have determined the Independent level (0-2 errors), the Instructional level (3-4 errors), and the Frustration level (5+ errors).  You start the graded passages at the level at which NO words were missed.  If words were missed on ALL levels, you start at preprimer. 

 NOTE:  Figure 2-2 on page 14. 

Administering the GRADED PASSAGES

The oral reading sequence should begin on the highest level at which the student achieved a perfect score on the graded word list.  The student should be told, “I want you to read some stories for me.  Some of them will be easy for you; others will be hard.  You are not expected to read everything perfectly.  Just do your best.  If you don’t know a word, try to figure it out instead of skipping it.  After you finish each story, I’m going to ask you some questions about it.”  Remove the copy of the passage from the student BEFORE you ask the comprehension questions.

1.  Read the introductory statement at the beginning of the first graded passage.  Do not indicate correctness or incorrectness.  If the student pauses briefly and looks at you, say “go on.”  If the student struggles for more than 5 seconds, you should tell them the word and mark TP on the word you gave to the student.  (TP stands for “teacher pronounced”).  p. 16

2.  Use table 2-1 (p. 16) to mark miscues.  Don’t try to analyze or make decisions about these miscues while the student is reading, just mark everything and then figure out later what counts for what.

3.  After the student has finished reading the passage, remove his/her copy and ask the accompanying comprehension questions.  Record any incorrect responses for later analysis. 

4.  If an INDEPENDENT level (word recognition and comprehension) was met at this level, move to the next HIGHER level and repeat the process.  If an independent level was not reached, drop back to the next lower level passage and administer the graded passage at that level.  Continue to drop back to a lower level until the independent level is determined.  NOTE:  You may not be able to determine this with some students … they may not be at the independent level at preprimer. 

5.  Continue moving up or down in levels until independent, instructional, and frustration levels are located.  (chart on page 3)

6.  Both criteria (word recognition and comprehension) must be met to establish the independent and instructional reading levels; in contrast, only ONE of the criteria need to be met to establish the frustration level. 

7.  When a student reaches frustration level, it is appropriate to begin listening comprehension testing.  The examiner should read aloud one section from each successive level (beginning with the SAME level at which the student reached frustration - different version) and ask the student the accompanying comprehension questions.  Progressively higher levels should be administered until the student is unable to answer at least 75 percent of the questions asked.  The highest level at which the student still gives correct answers to at least 75 percent of the comprehension questions is the listening comprehension level.  (p. 20)

NOTE:  Frequently Asked Questions on page 32-34 (bibliography listed below).

Burns, P., and Roe, B. D. (2002).  Informal reading inventory:  Preprimer to twelfth grade, 6th ed. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company.  

07/22/2005 03:48:29 PM