Which measure is included in DIBELS to assess reading skills?

• A. Phonological awareness
• B. Fluency with connected text
• C. Spelling
• D. Grammar

Answer: (B)

DIBELS gauges reading development with quick, targeted measures, and the one that specifically evaluates how smoothly a student reads in context is fluency with connected text. In practice, this is usually measured as Oral Reading Fluency: a student reads a short passage aloud for a minute, and the words read correctly per minute are counted. This captures rate, accuracy, and expression as the reader processes continuous text, which is closely tied to comprehension and everyday reading success. The reason this measure is included is that fluent, error-free reading of connected text is a strong indicator of overall reading proficiency and is efficient to administer for screening and progress monitoring.

Phonological awareness focuses on hearing and manipulating sounds, a foundational skill for decoding but not a measure of fluency with connected text. Spelling reflects writing knowledge, not how a student reads aloud. Grammar relates to syntax and writing quality, not the fluency of reading continuous text.