DIBELS 8th Edition

What is DIBELS?

DIBELS 8th Edition is a battery of brief fluency-based measures that can be used for universal screening, benchmark assessment and progress monitoring from Foundation to Year 8. It is based on trusted scientific evidence, research-based practices, and decades of experience in teaching and learning.

What does DIBELS stand for?

Dynamic

Indicators of

Basic Early Literacy Skills

DIBELS Training Options

Join Dr Sarah McDonagh for a 2-day online training. We offer Part 1 Administration and Scoring (2-day training) and Part 2 Interpreting Data and Planning for Instruction (2-day training). This training is highly recommended for acquiring an in-depth understanding of how to use DIBELS 8th with fidelity and get the most out of the data when planning for instruction.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

A SPELD SA trainer can come to your school to provide a one-day introduction to using DIBELS 8th. We show how DIBELS 8th is aligned with reading acquisition, practice the administration and scoring, and explore some instructional approaches that target the key areas involved in learning to read.

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Who is this training for?

Suitable for school leaders, teachers, inclusive educators , support staff, and anyone focused on improving literacy for all students.

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This training provides educators with many benefits.

• Detecting reading risk by mapping data from each of the DIBELS subtests to the benchmark goals and the Big Ideas in Beginning Reading;

• Examine data to identify patterns and trends at the grade, class and individual student levels; and use DIBELS data to plan for instruction within a multi-tiered system of support.

•Learning how to use the University of Oregon’s resources

“The information being presented was very clear and explicit which helped to gain a deep understanding that supports the purpose behind DIBELS.

The opportunity to practice the implementation of each assessment was very beneficial to my understanding and will support my work with teachers implementing the assessments.”

- School Principal

DIBELS 8th Edition: Further information, resources and download testing materials for free

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FAQs

How do I choose which training option is right for me?

The 2-day online courses with Dr Sarah McDonagh will provide an in-depth understanding of administering the tests with fidelity and aligning results with evidence-based instruction. Sarah earned her doctorate in Special Education at the University of Oregon and has expertise in the identification, prevention and intervention of reading difficulties. The full day in-school and short online sessions were developed by SPELD SA trainers to assist schools in upskilling an entire staff with the basics of administration and scoring, and provide some instructional approaches aligned with reading development. The two 2-hour online focus sessions contain most of the content from the full day training and is recommended as a cost-effective option for schools, presented by an experienced SPELD SA trainer.

Do you record your trainings to watch at a later date?

Unfortunately, we are unable to record any of our trainings. All workshops are presented live.

Can I complete Part 2 before completing the Part 1 training?

We recommend that you complete the Part 1 training before Part 2. Completing Part 2 first can be a little challenging for participants if they haven’t seen/used or practiced the administration or scoring of the DIBELS 8th edition.

Do I have to complete both Part 1 and Part 2 of the training?

No, you are welcome to just attend Part 1 without completing Part 2. Some participants prefer to get started with the test administration in their schools before completing further training.

Why are schools moving away from Running Records and levelled readers?

Levelled, or PM Readers are not evidence-based and are not aligned to the development of reading, so reading levels are not useful measures of student proficiency. The readers used in these assessments can encourage guessing based on repetition and picture clues, which can undermine the development of phonics and decoding skills.