UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Assessment
- Christan DePauw
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
As we gear up for another fantastic school year (or perhaps navigate mid-year assessments!), it’s always exciting to get new tools that help us pinpoint exactly what our students need. You know I’m all about using research-backed methods to help kids build strong, lasting reading skills. 🚀 That’s why I’m thrilled to talk about a brand new resource that's going to make a real difference for many of you: the UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Test. 🤩
This isn't just any test; it’s a powerful, UFLI-aligned tool designed to help you get students on the right path in their reading journey. Let's dive in!
What is the UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Test?
You've probably heard me talk about the CORE Phonics Survey before as a great initial diagnostic for UFLI placement. While the CORE Phonics Survey remains an effective tool, the UFLI team has now released their very own intervention placement test!
The UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Test was specifically designed to identify individual student strengths and needs for intervention using the UFLI Foundations program. This means it’s built directly from the UFLI scope and sequence, ensuring a tight alignment between assessment and instruction.
Do I need it?
Check out the flow chart to see if this test is for you!
It's crucial to understand what this test is and isn't:
👍 It is for intervention: Its only purpose for which it has been validated is to determine the starting point for intervention. This makes it incredibly valuable for intervention teachers or those working with small groups to target specific skill gaps.
👎 It is not a universal screener: UFLI does NOT recommend administering the UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Test with all students.
👎 It is not for progress monitoring: It's not designed to show growth over time. For progress monitoring, tools like the Quick Phonics Screener or Dibels are often used.
👎 It is not needed for K-2 initial placement: If you're a Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade teacher starting the school year with UFLI, there is no need to assess students for placement using this test. You should simply follow the recommended scope and sequence for each grade level in the UFLI Foundations manual.
👎 It is rigorously developed: This test was created by writing items to represent the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence. An expert panel of reading teachers reviewed the items, and it was pilot tested and revised based on feedback. It was tested with 59 struggling readers in second, third, and fourth grades. It boasts high reliability estimates, including an overall internal consistency of .99. The test also showed good correlation with the CORE Phonics Survey and DIBELS.
The test includes 210 items across 11 sets of skills, covering everything from short vowels and digraphs to suffixes, prefixes, and other complex vowel patterns. A key feature is that students are asked to read both real words and made-up words, which is fantastic for truly assessing decoding skills without relying on memorized sight words.
How to Use the UFLI Foundations Intervention Placement Test ⬇️
Administering this test is straightforward and designed to give you clear data for a data-based decision. Here’s a breakdown of how to administer it and interpret the results:
Individual Administration: The test is given to each student individually. But remember, it is only for students that need more than broad, T1 instruction.
Set the Stage: Before showing the student material, tell your student: "I’m going to show you some words to read. Some are real words and some are made-up words that may or may not be tricky to read, but please try your best. Remember that some are made-up words, so do not try to make them sound like real words. Ready?".
Show One Line at a Time: Present the words one line at a time.
Mark Responses: Underline correct responses and circle any errors.
Know When to Stop: This is crucial! If the student misses 3 words in one line, stop the assessment for that student. 🛑 This prevents frustration and tells you where their instructional starting point likely is.
Use the Data Summary & Decision Guidance: After each set of words, there's clear guidance on where to start in the UFLI Foundations program based on the student's score. The test is designed so that 95.3% of students did not pass the set that directly followed the highest set determined to be their starting point, giving you confidence in the placement.
🙌 This precise guidance helps ensure that students receive direct, systematic instruction that helps them develop strong reading skills, rather than leaving their learning to chance with indirect methods.
Supporting Every Child on Their Reading Journey
The Science of Reading has shown us that reading and writing must be taught. It’s a complex process that involves many skills, knowledge areas, and abilities, and no single one is enough on its own. This UFLI Placement Test is another fantastic tool to help us meet students where they are, especially those who need targeted intervention.
What About Heart Words?
If you're looking to see which irregular heart word the student needs more instruction on, check out my Heart Words Assessments on TPT! Remember, Heart words are high frequency words that must be EXPLICITLY TAUGHT! ⚠️
You know I'm passionate about helping every child unlock the joy of reading! ❤️That's why I create phonics resources designed to support decoding and fluency, that provide purposeful practice. My resources are always 100% UFLI-aligned, making it easier for you to implement the program effectively and support your struggling students with the skills they need to become strong decoders.
🚀 You can explore my phonics resources by checking out my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Just CLICK HERE.
Additionally, if you want a FREE Back-to-School Checklist, just let me know where to send it by filling out the form below! ❤️
Let's continue to use student data to differentiate our instruction and ensure every student gets the support they need to become a fluent, confident reader.
Happy teaching!
