Because foundational literacy is a critical building block for ensuring successful readers, and in response to changes in reading curriculums and state standards, Star Phonics is looking at expanding its grade-level coverage by adding kindergarten into the existing product via a field test.
The field test is now extended into the 2023–2024 school year, providing an opportunity to administer the Star Phonics assessment to kindergarten students and determine their strength in phonics skills—the most predictive skill of whether a learner will become a successful reader. There is no charge to participate in the field test, and schools can participate even if they are not currently using Star Phonics.
What is Star Phonics?
Star Phonics is a web-based phonics assessment that is aligned with the Science of Reading, allowing educators to determine how well students are developing their phonics skills and where they are struggling. Star Phonics:
- Is the only assessment that screens and diagnoses 12 phonics categories and 102 essential skills
- Can easily be aligned to most reading curriculums
- Provides immediate and actionable results, helping your educators to guide instruction for individuals, small groups, classes, and entire grades
- Is quick to implement and administer
What does the field test include?
The phonics categories included in the screener for the kindergarten field test are listed below:
These categories were chosen because they are included in reading curriculums and state standards starting in kindergarten. We understand that not all curriculums are the same, and not all skills will appear on all curriculums in kindergarten. In order to collect meaningful data for future analyses, we need to include each of the eight categories. All 12 diagnostics are also available in the field test.
How long does the field test run?
The field test is currently open and runs through May 24, 2024.
How to participate
Please read this document to learn more about the field test, what it entails, and how you can participate.