Homeschool Reading Readiness Fluency Assessment and Parent Guide

 Homeschool Reading Readiness Fluency Assessment and Parent Guide

For Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade Readiness TEST

About This Assessment

This assessment helps you understand your child's reading development and track progress over time. Complete this assessment every 2-3 months to monitor growth. Create a relaxed, encouraging environment—this is not a test your child can "fail."

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SECTION 1: Letter Knowledge (PreK-1st Grade)

A. Uppercase Letter Recognition

What to do: Point to each letter and ask, "What letter is this?"

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Scoring: Count correct responses _____ / 26

B. Lowercase Letter Recognition

What to do: Point to each letter and ask, "What letter is this?"

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Scoring: Count correct responses _____ / 26

C. Letter Sounds

What to do: Point to each letter and ask, "What sound does this letter make?"

m s a t p n i c h r d g o f l b u k e w j v y z q x

Scoring: Count correct responses _____ / 26

Progress Guide:

• Preschool (Age 4-5): 10-15 letters/sounds is excellent
• Kindergarten (Age 5-6): 20+ letters/sounds by mid-year
• 1st Grade: Should know all letters and sounds

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SECTION 2: Phonemic Awareness (PreK-1st Grade)

A. Rhyme Recognition

What to do: Say two words and ask, "Do these words rhyme?"

1. cat - hat (yes)
2. dog - log (yes)
3. sun - fun (yes)
4. ball - call (yes)
5. fish - dish (yes)
6. car - star (yes)
7. book - look (yes)
8. run - sit (no)
9. pen - hen (yes)
10. top - mop (yes)

Scoring: _____ / 10 correct

B. Beginning Sound Identification

What to do: Say a word and ask, "What sound do you hear at the beginning of this word?"

1. dog (/d/)
2. sun (/s/)
3. map (/m/)
4. run (/r/)
5. pig (/p/)
6. net (/n/)
7. top (/t/)
8. fox (/f/)
9. ball (/b/)
10. lake (/l/)

Scoring: _____ / 10 correct

C. Ending Sound Identification

What to do: "What sound do you hear at the END of this word?"

1. cat (/t/)
2. dog (/g/)
3. sun (/n/)
4. map (/p/)
5. bus (/s/)

Scoring: _____ / 5 correct

D. Sound Blending

What to do: "I'm going to say sounds. You tell me the word: /c/ /a/ /t/. What word?"

1. /c/ /a/ /t/ (cat)
2. /d/ /o/ /g/ (dog)
3. /s/ /u/ /n/ (sun)
4. /p/ /i/ /g/ (pig)
5. /r/ /u/ /n/ (run)

Scoring: _____ / 5 correct

E. Sound Segmentation

What to do: "Tell me all the sounds in the word 'cat.' /c/ /a/ /t/"

1. sat
2. dog
3. fun
4. lip
5. map

Scoring: _____ / 5 correct

Progress Guide:

• Preschool: Rhyming and beginning sounds
• Kindergarten: All sounds, basic blending by year-end
• 1st Grade: Master all phonemic awareness skills

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SECTION 3: Word Reading Skills

A. CVC Words (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)

What to do: "Read these words out loud."

Set 1 - Short 'a': cat, hat, mat, sat, bat, rat, van, can, man, ran

Set 2 - Short 'e': bed, red, fed, led, pet, net, wet, set, ten, hen

Set 3 - Short 'i': big, dig, pig, wig, sit, hit, bit, kit, pin, win

Set 4 - Short 'o': hot, not, pot, got, dog, log, fog, mop, hop, top

Set 5 - Short 'u': bug, hug, rug, mug, sun, fun, run, bun, cup, pup

Scoring: _____ / 50 words correct

B. Sight Words - Kindergarten Level

What to do: "Read these words as fast as you can."

the, a, I, to, and, is, it, in, you, of, for, said, they, on, she, at, we, be, have, not

Scoring: _____ / 20 words correct

C. Sight Words - 1st Grade Level

What to do: "Read these words."

was, are, his, but, had, can, when, did, get, come, made, may, part, over, new, after, good, want, out, help

Scoring: _____ / 20 words correct

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SECTION 4: Reading Fluency

Passage 1 - Preschool/Early Kindergarten

What to do: Have your child read for one minute. Count words read correctly.

I see a cat. The cat is big. I see a dog. The dog can run. I can run too. Run, run, run! We like to run. It is fun.

Total words: 31 Words read correctly in 1 minute: _____ Number of errors: _____

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Passage 2 - Kindergarten

What to do: Have your child read for one minute. Count words read correctly.

Sam has a red cap. He likes his cap. Sam can run and jump. He runs to the park. At the park he sees a dog. The dog is big and brown. Sam and the dog play. They run and jump. It is a fun day!

Total words: 50 Words read correctly in 1 minute: _____ Number of errors: _____

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Passage 3 - First Grade

What to do: Have your child read for one minute. Count words read correctly.

Mom and I went to the pond. We took our net and a bucket. I saw a frog on a log. The frog was green and wet. It jumped into the water with a splash! Then we saw fish swimming. The fish were orange and fast. We had fun at the pond. We will come back next week.

Total words: 62 Words read correctly in 1 minute: _____ Number of errors: _____

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Passage 4 - Advanced First Grade

What to do: Have your child read for one minute. Count words read correctly.

Last night I helped Dad make dinner. We made spaghetti and meatballs. First, we boiled water in a big pot. Then Dad cooked the meat with tomato sauce. I stirred the noodles so they would not stick. When dinner was ready, we set the table. My little sister helped too. She put out the forks and spoons. Everyone said it was the best dinner ever! I felt proud that I could help.

Total words: 75 Words read correctly in 1 minute: _____ Number of errors: _____

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FLUENCY BENCHMARKS

Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM)

Kindergarten:

• Beginning: 0-10 WCPM
• Middle: 10-20 WCPM
• End: 20-40 WCPM

First Grade:

• Beginning: 20-40 WCPM
• Middle: 40-60 WCPM
• End: 60-80 WCPM

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PROGRESS TRACKING SHEET

Assessment Date: ____________

Skill Area	Score	Goal	Notes
Uppercase Letters	___/26
Lowercase Letters	___/26
Letter Sounds	___/26
Rhyme Recognition	___/10
Beginning Sounds	___/10
Ending Sounds	___/5
Sound Blending	___/5
Sound Segmentation	___/5
CVC Words	___/50
Sight Words (K)	___/20
Sight Words (1st)	___/20
Reading Fluency (WCPM)	_____

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HOW TO USE THIS ASSESSMENT

Before You Begin:

1. Choose a quiet time when your child is rested and alert
2. Have pencils or markers ready
3. Create a comfortable, pressure-free environment
4. Celebrate effort, not just correct answers

During the Assessment:

1. Work through sections in order, but don't complete it all in one day
2. Take breaks if your child seems tired or frustrated
3. Offer encouragement: "You're working so hard!"
4. Skip sections that are too advanced—come back later

Scoring Tips:

• For letter/sound identification: Count only instant recognition (within 2-3 seconds)
• For reading passages: Count a word as correct if read accurately, even if slowly
• For fluency timing: Use a timer and stop at exactly 1 minute
• Errors include: Skipped words, incorrect words, words you had to tell them

After the Assessment:

1. Celebrate what your child CAN do
2. Identify 2-3 focus areas for practice
3. Reassess every 8-12 weeks
4. Watch for consistent growth over time

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WHAT THE SCORES MEAN

Strong Areas:

• 80% or higher = Mastered skill
• Continue practicing to maintain

Developing Areas:

• 50-79% = Emerging skill
• Focus instruction here

Areas Needing Support:

• Below 50% = Not yet ready or needs intensive practice
• May need different approach or more time

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NEXT STEPS BASED ON RESULTS

If your child struggles with letters/sounds:

• Practice daily with letter flashcards
• Sing alphabet songs
• Use magnetic letters or letter games
• Focus on 3-5 letters per week

If your child struggles with phonemic awareness:

• Play rhyming games
• Read rhyming books together
• Practice clapping syllables
• Use sound manipulation games

If your child struggles with word reading:

• Use word families (cat, hat, mat, sat)
• Practice sight words daily (5 minutes)
• Use decodable books
• Build words with letter tiles

If your child struggles with fluency:

• Practice reading same passage multiple times
• Read together (choral reading)
• Use books at easier level
• Focus on accuracy before speed

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REMEMBER

Reading development is a journey, not a race. Every child develops at their own pace. This assessment helps you celebrate growth and identify where your child needs support. If you have concerns about your child's progress, consider consulting with a reading specialist or your local school district.

Keep learning fun! The goal is to raise a lifelong reader who loves books.