Online & face-to-face training

DIBELS 8th Edition

Early Reading Assessments, Lifelong Results

Find the right DIBELS training for you

Explore SPELD SA’s three DIBELS training options. From introductory sessions to advanced workshops and one-on-one support, you can select the training that best fits your goals and helps you get the most out of DIBELS.

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.

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.

Choose from one or both 2-hour online workshops, designed for schools wanting to upskill staff in a specific aspect of DIBELS 8th. Presented by a SPELD SA trainer, we offer the following options:

  • Introduction to administration and scoring basics - go through the scoring rules and practice each of the subtest.
  • Instructional approaches informed by the data - understand how the subtest align to reading development and some strategies for improving each of the skills.

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is a collection of procedures and tools designed to evaluate the development of literacy skills.

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.

Why use DIBELS 8th?

DIBELS 8th Edition is more versatile than ever, helping more students across more grades. It's a highly effective, low-impact tool for assessing reading skills, widely used in schools, special education, and for students with dyslexia.

Backed by decades of thorough research, DIBELS measures key reading skills that are proven to predict reading success.

This training provides educators with many benefits.

This training is ideal for school leaders, teachers, inclusive educators, support staff, and anyone dedicated to enhancing literacy for all students.

Participants will learn to:

- Detect reading risks by aligning DIBELS subtest data with benchmark goals and key concepts in early reading.

- Analyse data to identify patterns and trends at the grade, class, and individual student levels, and use this information to plan instruction within a multi-tiered support system.

- Utilise resources from the University of Oregon effectively.

Meet Our Trainers

Dr Sarah McDonagh

Kerry Williams

Genine Riley

“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

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