The Status of Decoding Tests in Instructional Decision-Making

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze published decoding tests, at the item level, to determine what decoding skills and discrete letter-patterns are assessed, and identify potential instructional implications of these measures. Twenty published word list decoding tests, either used in research or within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) framework, were included for analysis. Test items were coded at the syllable level to identify discrete letter-patterns that represent common decoding skills. Frequency of these skills, along with administration features, were analyzed to identify commonalities and differences between published decoding tests. Results show the published decoding tests analyzed vary in the number of decoding skills they measure. All tests showed potential for providing some diagnostic information to inform instructional practices. Implications for practice, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.