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Assessment Details

Schonell Reading
Assessment Area English-Reading
Year level 0-5
NZ origin? No , Australia
Standardised? Yes , there are some approximate norms from Australia around 1950. Little information is provided on standardisation samples. Diagnostic tests 5, 6 and 7 are unstandardised. Standardised administration procedures are out of date.
Administration to individual or group? Either , 5 of the 7 tests are for individual students, 2 for groups
What does it assess? Attainment and diagnostic reading assessments include most basic decoding and comprehension skills
Purpose Originally written to provide a range of attainment and diagnostic tests, they are now outdated. Measurement models will have limited appeal to today's teachers.
Validity No evidence is provided.
Reliability No data is available.
What measures does it give? Tests 1 - 4 convert to reading ages, others are diagnostic only
How long does it take to administer? This varies according to the test, approximately 5 - 15 minutes per student
How much training is needed? Some training and practice is needed. The quality of the information obtained depends to a considerable degree on the knowledge, experience, and insight of the administrator.
Scoring and data analysis As above, it is simple to score and analyse for an experienced administrator. No reports are generated.
Does it provide 'what next' strategies? Yes , although they are outdated.
Is it available in te reo Maori? No
Cost? Information not available.
Author, date of publication and publisher Written in Australia and first published in Britain 1950. Republished several times since.
Availability

Appears to be out of print in New Zealand. Copy attached:

Schonell Reading

This review is included as many schools will have copies of the assessment on their shelves.

Further Information

A battery of 7 attainment and diagnostic tests published in book form, with some tests available separately. Five of the tests are administered individually; Tests R3 and R4 are group tests. Test R5, R6, and R7 constitute the main diagnostic components.

The tests are as follows:

Test R1: A Graded Word Reading Test very similar to those developed by Burt and Vernon except that it is based on a ‘look-and-say’ approach rather than phonics. It provides mechanical word recognition levels from age 5 to 15. This test has been widely used in the past, but the material and language are dated.

Test R2: Simple Prose Reading primarily assesses comprehension via oral questions, although speed and accuracy scores may also be derived. The test is suitable for students aged 6-9.

Tests R3 and R4: Silent Reading Tests consisting of short unconnected paragraphs followed by questions (some multiple-choice) or instructions to be followed. Test R3 is suitable for students aged 7-11; R4, ages 9-13.

Test R5: Measures the student’s knowledge of common phonic units and powers or analysis and synthesis of phonic constituents.

Test R6: A test of the student’s directional attack on words, tendencies for reversals or partial reversals, and confusion between letters, e.g., b and d.

Test R7: Visual Word Discrimination Test. Also provides qualitative information on short-term recall of word patterns.

All the tests are untimed with the exception of the Silent Reading Tests, R3 and R4.