QRI-5

QRI-5 is a type of assessment that is given to each student individually. It assesses their ability to identify words and comprehend text and conditions that result in unsuccessful word identification and comprehension. QRI-5 provided word lists and passages that assess the student’s ability to read orally and silently and their listening abilities. It can be administered to students from before first grade all the way to high school. It is not a norm-based assessment which means that the results of the specific student are measured against the results of the norm group. The results of the QRI-5 assessment are interpreted based on the student alone.

 The results of QRI-5 can help teachers create reading groups, choose text for instruction and more. It also allows teachers to be able to design intervention plans for struggling students. There are many parts to the QRI-5 assessment. The first is with word lists. These lists assess the accuracy, speed, and automaticity of word identification. In the QRI-5 word lists there are words that are used more infrequently but have the same vowel patterns as words that are used more often, this enables the instructor to see if the student has mastered the word recognition.

Then there are the passages. These identify the student’s reading level, comprehension level, ability to read different types of texts, ability to comprehend in different modes, look back at the text, and the quality of their think-alouds. It assesses the comprehension in retelling and in question form.

I have seen teachers implementing assessments that are similar to the idea of QRI-5. Teachers have created word lists that they think the students should know when starting the year and use them to assess specific students who may need early intervention. Additionally, some teachers have their students read texts and they administer running records to assess their fluency and comprehension.

I think QRI-5 is a wonderful method of assessment. It incorporates and assesses so many different aspects of reading skills not just picking on one or two. Reading is a holistic skill and one skill may be impeding a student’s reading. It’s important to assess all the different areas to get a clearer picture of the student’s level and to see how we can help them.