Skills to prepare for DIBELS 8
Find the reading skills to prepare for DIBELS 8 at your grade, from early sound awareness to reading connected text.
Kindergarten DIBELS 8 reading skills
4 skill groups across 4 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Letter naming
LNF: naming upper- and lowercase letters
Letter naming
LNF: naming upper- and lowercase letters
Recognize letter names
Name printed letters accurately and efficiently.
Speech sounds
PSF: separating a spoken word into sounds
Speech sounds
PSF: separating a spoken word into sounds
Segment individual phonemes
Say the separate sounds in a spoken word, rather than letter names or syllables.
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Apply letter-sound patterns
Decode unfamiliar, pronounceable made-up words using sound-spelling knowledge and blending.
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Read whole words
Recognize familiar regular and irregular words without relying on a sentence for context.
Grade 1 DIBELS 8 reading skills
5 skill groups across 5 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Letter naming
LNF: naming upper- and lowercase letters
Letter naming
LNF: naming upper- and lowercase letters
Recognize letter names
Name printed letters accurately and efficiently.
Speech sounds
PSF: separating a spoken word into sounds
Speech sounds
PSF: separating a spoken word into sounds
Segment individual phonemes
Say the separate sounds in a spoken word, rather than letter names or syllables.
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Apply letter-sound patterns
Decode unfamiliar, pronounceable made-up words using sound-spelling knowledge and blending.
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Read whole words
Recognize familiar regular and irregular words without relying on a sentence for context.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Grade 2 DIBELS 8 reading skills
4 skill groups across 4 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Apply letter-sound patterns
Decode unfamiliar, pronounceable made-up words using sound-spelling knowledge and blending.
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Read whole words
Recognize familiar regular and irregular words without relying on a sentence for context.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 3 DIBELS 8 reading skills
4 skill groups across 4 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Decoding unfamiliar words
NWF: letter sounds and blending
Apply letter-sound patterns
Decode unfamiliar, pronounceable made-up words using sound-spelling knowledge and blending.
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Reading individual words
WRF: recognizing real words accurately and efficiently
Read whole words
Recognize familiar regular and irregular words without relying on a sentence for context.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 4 DIBELS 8 reading skills
2 skill groups across 2 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 5 DIBELS 8 reading skills
2 skill groups across 2 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 6 DIBELS 8 reading skills
2 skill groups across 2 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 7 DIBELS 8 reading skills
2 skill groups across 2 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Grade 8 DIBELS 8 reading skills
2 skill groups across 2 topic areasThese are the measures available for this grade across fall, winter and spring. Administration rules can shorten an individual assessment.
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Reading connected text
ORF: accurate and fluent passage reading
Read an unfamiliar passage aloud
Maintain accurate word reading and a fluent pace in grade-level text.
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Understanding connected text
Maze: silent reading for meaning
Choose words that fit a passage
Use grammar and meaning to select a missing word while reading silently.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.
Sources and scope
The September 2026 guide specifies this grade schedule. DIBELS 8 does not include First Sound Fluency or Retell, and does not directly assess vocabulary. Its benchmark goals and national percentiles are different measures. Practice the underlying skills using fresh material, not the benchmark test forms.