Test of Phonological Awareness and Letter Sound Knowledge
Beginning Learner
Teachers should administer the “Test of Phonological Awareness and Letter Sound Knowledge” for Beginning Learners for any students reading below a first grade reading level at the beginning of the year.
If a student scores a 7 or 8 on a section, the student is secure in that area. The student is demonstrating a need for additional instruction if they score a 6 or below in any section.
Teachers should analyze the information to determine the areas of need. Mini-lessons should be taught during the word study portion of small group instruction.
Test of Phonological Awareness and Letter Sound Knowledge
Beginning Learner
- RHYME (Identify Pairs)
Directions: I’m going to say three words. Two of these words rhyme, or sound the same at the end. I want you to decide which two words rhyme. Let’s practice one first. Listen: dog – log; dog – pan (model selecting dog and log as the rhyming pair). Now you try it by yourself: dog-log; dog-pan.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. man-can; man-box man-can 1 0
2. big-top; big-wig big-wig 1 0
3. mad-can; mad-sad mad-sad 1 0
4. see-tree; see-how bee-tree 1 0
5. stick-mop; stick-pickstick-pick 1 0
6. dish-wish; dish-mendish-wish 1 0
7. pail-cape; pail-sailpail-sail 1 0
8. pet-rug; pet-wetpet-wet 1 0
Total______
RHYME (Produce Pairs)
Directions: I’m going to say a word. I want you to tell me a word that rhymes with it. It can be a real word or a silly word. Let’s practice one first. Listen: sit – bit, fit, dit, lit (model saying real and nonsense words that rhyme with bit). Now you try it by yourself: sit – bit, fit, dit, lit.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. cap______1 0
2. sip ______1 0
3. hop______1 0
4. jet ______1 0
5. sip______1 0
6. bug______1 0
7. pain______1 0
8. bark______1 0
Total______
- ALLITERATION( Identify similar/different beginning and ending sounds)
Directions: I’m going to say some words. I want you to tell me the sound that is the same in all the words. Let’s practice one first. Listen: cat, car, cap – I hear /c / in all of the words. Now, you try it by yourself: “cat, car, cap”.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. fix, fall, fun /f/ 1 0
2. me, milk, mom /m/ 1 0
3. ship, shop, share /sh/ 1 0
4. dig, dog, do /d/ 1 0
5. fit, mat, lot /t/ 1 0
6. lip, flap, cap /p/ 1 0
7. see, be, me. /e/ 1 0
8. like, click, sock /k/ 1 0
Total______
ALLITERATION (Produce a word with the same beginning sound)
Directions: I’m going to say some words. I want you to tell me another word with the same beginning sound. Let’s practice one first. Listen: “run” –rabbit has the same beginning sound as run. They both begin with /r/. Now, you try it by yourself: “run - rabbit”.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. hand______1 0
2. mouse______1 0
3. soap______1 0
4. foot______1 0
5. tub______1 0
6. lake______1 0
7. pig.______1 0
8. cub______1 0
Total______
ALLITERATION (Isolate the beginning sound in a given word)
Directions: I’m going to say some words. I want you to tell me the beginning sound you hear. Let’s practice one first. Listen: “dog” - /d/ is the beginning sound. Now, you try it by yourself: “dog”.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. big /b/ 1 0
2. land /l/ 1 0
3. farm /f/ 1 0
4. man /m/ 1 0
5. help /h/ 1 0
6. apple /a/ 1 0
7. desk. /d/ 1 0
8. car /c/ 1 0
Total______
- WORDS AND SYLLABLES (Identify # of words in a sentence)
Directions: I’m going to say a sentence. I want you to move a block for each word I say. Let’s practice one first. Listen: I like school (model moving a block for each word in the sentence). Now, you try it by yourself: I like school.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. I like cake.3 blocks 1 0
2. I am big.3 blocks 1 0
3. My cat is black.4 blocks 1 0
4. The baby is sleeping.4 blocks 1 0
5. I ride my bike to school.6 blocks 1 0
6. I see a purple flower.5 blocks 1 0
7. I love to eat cookies.5 blocks 1 0
8. My grandpa goes swimming.5 blocks 1 0
Total______
- SYLLABLES (Segment a multisyllabic word into syllables)
Directions: I’m going to say a word. I want you to clap one time for each part of the word or syllable I say. Let’s practice one first. Listen: monkey (model clapping out the word). Now, you try it by yourself: monkey.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. cat1 clap 1 0
2. alphabet3 claps 1 0
3. puppy2 claps 1 0
4. lion2 claps 1 0
5. Halloween3 claps 1 0
6. desk1 clap 1 0
7. teacher2 claps 1 0
8. hamburger3 claps 1 0
Total______
SYLLABLES (Blend syllables into a multisyllabic word)
Directions: I’m going to say a word slowly. I want you to say the word fast. Let’s practice one first. Listen: cow – boy (model saying the word, pausing for one second between parts, and then saying it fast). Now, you try it by yourself: cow – boy.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. pop - corn popcorn 1 0
2. moun – tain mountain 1 0
3. side-walksidewalk 1 0
4. pen-cilpencil 1 0
5. hon-eyhoney 1 0
6. pic-ture picture 1 0
7. riv-er river 1 0
8. can-dlecandle 1 0
Total______
- PHONEME BLENDING
Directions: I’m going to say a word slowly. I want you to say the word fast. Let’s practice one first. Listen /s/ /i/ /t/ - sit(model saying the word, pausing for one second between parts, and then saying it fast). Now, you try it by yourself: /s/ /i/ /t/
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. f-ar far 1 0
2. c-orncorn 1 0
3. b-estbest 1 0
5. b-o-xbox 1 0
6. h-u-t hut 1 0
7. sh-o-p shop 1 0
8. b-l-a-ckblack 1 0
Total______
- PHONEME SEGMENTATION
Directions: I’m going to say a word. I want you to say each sound in the word. Let’s practice one first. Listen: cat (model saying the word and then saying each sound: c – a - t). Now, you try it by yourself: cat.
1 & .5
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. hot/h-o-t/ /h-ot/ 1 .5 0
2. rat/r-a-t/ /r-at/ 1 .5 0
3. fun/f-u-n/ /f-un/ 1 .5 0
4. pen/p-e-n/ /p-en/ 1 .5 0
5. chop/ch-o-p/ /ch-op/ 1 .5 0
6. thick/th-i-ck/ /th-ick/ 1 .5 0
7. snack/s-l-a-ck/ /sn-ack/ 1 .5 0
8. slip/s-l-i-d/ /sl-id/ 1 .5 0
Total______
- PHONEME DELETION
Directions: I’m going to say a word. Then, I’m going to say the word again but leave off a sound to make a new word. Let’s practice one first. Listen: “goat” – Now I am going to say it again without the /t/ to make the new word “go”.(model saying the word and then taking off the /t/ to make “go”). Now, you try it by yourself: goat.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. rose – now, say it again without the /z/ row 1 0
2. train – now say it again without the /n/ tray 1 0
3. group – now say it again without the /p/grew 1 0
4. seat – now say it again without the /t/sea 1 0
5. smile – now say it again without the /s/mile 1 0
6. boat – not say it again without the /b/oat 1 0
7. lake – now say it again without the /l/ache 1 0
8. feet – now say it again without the /f/eat 1 0
Total______
- PHONEME ADDITION
Directions: I’m going to say a word. Then, I’m going to say the word again but add a sound to make a new word. Let’s practice one first. Listen: “park” – Now I am going to say it again with an /s/ to make the new word “spark”.(model saying the word and then adding the /s/ to make “spark”). Now, you try it by yourself: park - spark.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. top – now, say it again with an /s/ in front of it stop 1 0
2. lip – now, say it again with an /f/ in front of it flip 1 0
3. eat – now, say it again with an /m/ in front of itmeat 1 0
4. lay – now, say it again with a /t/ at the end of itlate 1 0
5. row – now, say it again with a /b/ at the end of itrobe 1 0
6. pin – now, say it again with a /ch/ at the end of itpinch 1 0
7. ot – now, say it again with an /l/ in front of itlot 1 0
8. ap – now, say it again with an /m/ in front of itmap 1 0
Total______
- PSEUDOWORD DECODING
Directions: I’m going to show you some words that are not real words. They are silly words. I want you to read them to me. Let’s practice one first. Show: ip (model reading this word). Now, you read it by yourself: ip.
Test Items Response Answer Score Observations
1. am/am/ as in ham 1 0
2. et /et/ as in pet 1 0
3. dap/dap/ as in dap 1 0
4. hig/hig/ as in big 1 0
5. fon/fon/ as in Ron 1 0
6. chuf/chuf/ as in stuff 1 0
7. tret/tret/ as in bet 1 0
8. spum/spum/ as in hum 1 0
Total______
am
et
dap
hig
fon
chuf
tret
spum