Hodder Oral Reading Tests

The Hodder Oral Reading Tests provide a unique combination of fully equivalent standardised measures of single-word reading, sentence reading and reading speed in a single test battery. Up-to-date national norms – given as standardised scores, percentiles and reading ages – extend from 5 years to 16+ and adult levels.

The three complementary assessments are exceptionally quick and easy to give, and can be used individually or in combination. All results are recorded on a single record sheet to give a useful profile and overview of a pupil’s mechanical reading skills. The concise and accessible teacher’s manual enables anyone using the test for the first time to rapidly familiarise themselves with the assessment procedure. Testing can thus be carried out confidently and reliably from the outset.

The word- and sentence-reading tests are presented on reusable test cards, in graded order of difficulty. Both have parallel forms A & B to allow reliable retesting, if required. The test words and content have been carefully selected to reflect contemporary language usage and to match the demands of national curricula in the UK. The test of reading speed assesses the number of phonically regular three- and four-letter words read from a test card in 60 seconds, making it both quick and easily manageable. The Hodder Oral Reading Tests’ word- and sentence-level format complements the widely-used Diagnostic Reading Analysis, which assesses oral reading at continuous passage level.

The Hodder Oral Reading Tests bring a valuable dimension to the assessment of reading in both mainstream and special needs settings, by class teachers, SENCOs and educational psychologists, and for assessing slower-reading pupils who may benefit from additional time in national tests or public examinations.