All kindergarten through third grade students are assessed using the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills - DIBELS - three times a year: in August, December, and May.
What skills are measured by DIBELS and why are they important? The critical skills necessary for successful beginning reading include: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The DIBELS measures assess students on four of these five critical skills, which are often referred to as the “Big Ideas” of reading. The table below describes each big idea of reading and lists the corresponding DIBELS measure.