Informal Reading Inventory

Determining Reading Level

IRI are designed to determine at what level a student can read Without assistance (independent)

With assistance (instructional)

Levels they should not be asked to read (frustration)

Level they can comprehend (potential)

Steps in the IRI

1. Use graded word list to identify beginning level 2. Student reads a graded passage 3. Teacher marks all miscues4. Remove the passage5. Ask comprehension questions, record

responses 6. Analyze results7. Repeat with additional passages until all levels

are determined8. For listening (potential) comprehension

– read passages aloud and ask comprehension questions

Step 1 - Graded Word List Provides a quick check

for likely reading level– Start with list for lower

grade level and work up

Are many and varied in nature

One exampleSan Diego Quick Assessment

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Graded Passage

• Introductory Statement

• Copy of text

• Comprehension Questions

• Some include analysis help

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Miscue = not read correctly Mispronunciation & Substitutions

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Miscue Example Scoring

gorgedCalls wrong word She gazed at it Disrupts meaning = 1

lookedSubstitutes similar She gazed at it Does NOT disrupt meaning = 0

don gazedSubstitutes dialect She gazed at it Does NOT disrupt meaning = 0

gorged gorged gorgedRepeats same mistake She gazed at it Count only once = 1

Miscue = not read correctly Refusal to Pronounce & Repetitions

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Miscue Example Scoring

PChild stops reading She ///gazed at it Doesn’t know word = 1

Child hesitates She ///gazed at it Unsure but got the word = 0

Repeats word She gazed at it Depends After 3 sec. give word = 1 Before 3 sec. gets word = 0

Miscue = not read correctly Insertions & Reversals

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Miscue Example Scoring

upReads word not there She gazed / at it Depends on who you ask

Omits word She gazed at it Count as miscue = 1

Omits part of word She gazed at it Count as miscue = 1

Reverses word She gazed at it Depends If changes meaning = 1 If doesn’t change meaning = 0

Miscue = not read correctly Self-correction, ignores punctuation, & phrasing

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Miscue Example Scoring

gorged SC

Corrects after miscue She gazed at it No miscue = 0

Ignores punctuation He shouted stop! Does NOT disrupt meaning = 0

Phrasing mistakes He /hit /the ball Does NOT disrupt meaning = 0

Don’t mark if time is short

Comprehension Questions

10 questions are best for determining % of correct answers

Designed to check

understanding at a variety of levels

Recall

Vocabulary

Details

Inference

Cause/Effect

Evaluation or Critical

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Analysis of Results

Find percentage of words in text that were called correctly

Determine percentage of comprehension questions answered correctly

Check chart for reading level

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IRI Criteria

LEVEL WORD RECOGNITION COMPREHENSION

Independent 99% or more 90% or more

Instructional 95% or more 60% or more

Frustration 90% or less 50% or more

Listening/Potential Comprehension 70-75% or more

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