Diagnostic Decoding Survey
Diagnose Decoding Challenges with Complimentary Diagnostic Surveys
Effectively assess students’ decoding skills with Really Great Reading’s free Beginning and Advanced Diagnostic Decoding Surveys. These easy-to-use diagnostic assessments help identify specific reading difficulties and target areas for improvement.
- Beginning Decoding Survey: Evaluate mastery of high-frequency words, single-syllable words, and basic phonics patterns.
- Advanced Decoding Survey: Assess more complex phonics patterns, multisyllabic words, and advanced vowel spellings.
- Comprehensive Packet: Includes everything needed for assessment and actionable guidance for planning targeted instruction.
- Results can be easily entered into our free Grouping Matrix
Start using the Diagnostic Decoding Surveys today to identify your students’ decoding strengths and weaknesses and provide the right support for every student.
In just 5-7 minutes, Really Great Reading's complimentary diagnostic decoding assessments answer these key questions: Which students are struggling with decoding? What types of words are they struggling with? What is the source of the underlying confusion? They contain everything you’ll need for the initial assessment of an unlimited number of students with an explanation of how the data can be added to the Grouping Matrix to group, progress monitor, and plan the type of instruction that will yield the greatest results.
Phonological Awareness Survey
The Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Survey is a complimentary assessment that is commonly used in Kindergarten and 1st grade, but it is also useful for assessing older students who perform well below expectations on basic decoding assessments. It is a one-on-one assessment of phonological awareness skills, including blending word parts, and phonemic awareness skills, including matching, identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes in words. The data collected from this assessment can help determine the type of basic literacy instruction that will equip students with the knowledge they need for basic decoding.
Letter Knowledge Survey
The Letter Knowledge Survey is a complimentary assessment that is commonly used in Kindergarten and 1st grade, but it is also useful for assessing older students who perform well below expectations on basic decoding assessments. It is a one-on-one assessment of letter knowledge, including letter sounds and letter names (both lowercase and uppercase). The data collected from this assessment can help determine the type of basic literacy instruction that will equip students with the knowledge they need for basic decoding.
Sight Word Survey
The Sight Word Survey has five separate assessments for Pre-Primer, Primer, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade. These assessments are used to determine how well a student reads high-frequency words. Sight words are words that occur so frequently in printed text that it is most efficient for children to learn to read them automatically, by “sight,” rather than by decoding or sounding them out. The words on these assessments were selected from the Dolch 220 list of high-frequency words, and the words have been leveled.(e.g., Pre-Primer, Primer, etc.) using the same Dolch list.
Advanced Decoding Survey Plus
The Advanced Decoding Survey Plus is a quick way to determine if older students have mastered the decoding skills they should have learned in grade K, 1, 2, and 3. Those using it as a screener can use it anytime after the middle of 3rd grade. If using it as a screener, you can administer it to your entire student population or to a select group of students whom you suspect may have a decoding deficit. Designed with upper elementary and adolescents in mind, Really Great Reading has three sets of lessons: HD Word, Boost, and Blitz. Additionally, for those who need additional practice and repetitions, we have HD Word Plus and Phonics Boost Plus that extend the learning for students participating in HD Word, Boost, and Blitz instruction.
The Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Survey is a complimentary assessment that is commonly used in Kindergarten and 1st grade, but it is also useful for assessing older students who perform well below expectations on basic decoding assessments. It is a one-on-one assessment of phonological awareness skills, including blending word parts, and phonemic awareness skills, including matching, identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes in words. The data collected from this assessment can help determine the type of basic literacy instruction that will equip students with the knowledge they need for basic decoding.
The Letter Knowledge Survey is a complimentary assessment that is commonly used in Kindergarten and 1st grade, but it is also useful for assessing older students who perform well below expectations on basic decoding assessments. It is a one-on-one assessment of letter knowledge, including letter sounds and letter names (both lowercase and uppercase). The data collected from this assessment can help determine the type of basic literacy instruction that will equip students with the knowledge they need for basic decoding.
The Sight Word Survey has five separate assessments for Pre-Primer, Primer, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade. These assessments are used to determine how well a student reads high-frequency words. Sight words are words that occur so frequently in printed text that it is most efficient for children to learn to read them automatically, by “sight,” rather than by decoding or sounding them out. The words on these assessments were selected from the Dolch 220 list of high-frequency words, and the words have been leveled.(e.g., Pre-Primer, Primer, etc.) using the same Dolch list.
The Advanced Decoding Survey Plus is a quick way to determine if older students have mastered the decoding skills they should have learned in grade K, 1, 2, and 3. Those using it as a screener can use it anytime after the middle of 3rd grade. If using it as a screener, you can administer it to your entire student population or to a select group of students whom you suspect may have a decoding deficit. Designed with upper elementary and adolescents in mind, Really Great Reading has three sets of lessons: HD Word, Boost, and Blitz. Additionally, for those who need additional practice and repetitions, we have HD Word Plus and Phonics Boost Plus that extend the learning for students participating in HD Word, Boost, and Blitz instruction.
Early reading success begins with a strong foundation in key literacy skills, and timely assessments help educators ensure every student is on the right path.
Foundational Skills Survey
By assessing students at the beginning and end of the year, educators gain valuable insights into student progress, allowing them to tailor instruction to meet individual needs. These complimentary Foundational Skills Surveys provide diagnostic tools for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1, helping teachers pinpoint strengths and areas for growth in phonological awareness, decoding, and other critical early reading skills. With this information, educators can ensure that every student builds a strong foundation for future reading comprehension and academic achievement.
Pre-K Foundational Survey
This complimentary set of diagnostic tools helps educators assess how well pre-kindergarten students are developing essential early literacy skills. These one-on-one surveys evaluate instructional vocabulary, phonological and phonemic awareness, letter naming, and sound-symbol correspondences to ensure young learners are on track for reading success in kindergarten and beyond.
Kindergarten Foundational Survey
This complimentary resource contains diagnostic tools to help educators determine how well kindergarten students are acquiring key decoding skills. The surveys assess phonemic and phonological awareness, sound-symbol correspondences, high-frequency word reading, and basic decoding abilities—critical building blocks for strong, confident readers.
Grade 1 Foundational Survey
This complimentary resource provides educators with diagnostic tools to assess Grade 1 students’ progress in mastering key foundational reading skills. The surveys identify strengths and areas for improvement in decoding, phonics, and word recognition, helping teachers provide targeted instruction to support reading fluency and comprehension.
By assessing students at the beginning and end of the year, educators gain valuable insights into student progress, allowing them to tailor instruction to meet individual needs. These complimentary Foundational Skills Surveys provide diagnostic tools for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1, helping teachers pinpoint strengths and areas for growth in phonological awareness, decoding, and other critical early reading skills. With this information, educators can ensure that every student builds a strong foundation for future reading comprehension and academic achievement.
This complimentary set of diagnostic tools helps educators assess how well pre-kindergarten students are developing essential early literacy skills. These one-on-one surveys evaluate instructional vocabulary, phonological and phonemic awareness, letter naming, and sound-symbol correspondences to ensure young learners are on track for reading success in kindergarten and beyond.
This complimentary resource contains diagnostic tools to help educators determine how well kindergarten students are acquiring key decoding skills. The surveys assess phonemic and phonological awareness, sound-symbol correspondences, high-frequency word reading, and basic decoding abilities—critical building blocks for strong, confident readers.
This complimentary resource provides educators with diagnostic tools to assess Grade 1 students’ progress in mastering key foundational reading skills. The surveys identify strengths and areas for improvement in decoding, phonics, and word recognition, helping teachers provide targeted instruction to support reading fluency and comprehension.
Really Great Reading offers a family of complimentary diagnostic decoding assessments to help educators understand their students' word-level reading skills. In 5 to 7 minutes per student, discover whether decoding deficits are inhibiting your students' ability to read. Download complimentary copies above and watch the following informational and instructional videos below.
Many students experience undiagnosed decoding (or word-level) difficulties that hamper their academic achievement. Just how pervasive are decoding deficits among adolescent readers?
Really Great Reading's Free Diagnostic Decoding Surveys enable quick one-on-one assessment of phonics skills. The Beginning Decoding Survey assesses a students' ability to read high-frequency words and single-syllable words with short vowels, digraphs, and blends.
The Advanced Decoding Survey assesses how well students read unfamiliar single-syllable decodable words with more advanced vowels such as long, r-controlled, and other variant vowel patterns. It also assesses a student's ability to read unfamiliar and familiar multisyllabic words.
Many students struggle with reading because they don't understand sound-letter relationships and the rules that guide pronunciation. They skip and guess at words. Students with decoding issues often have comprehension and fluency problems. They underachieve in school. Our decoding surveys help educators pinpoint the cause of students' struggles.
