Administering the QRI-6
Key/Legend
Word Lists
Administer the first list (see directions below for the starting point). Score the first list to
determine if the student scores <90% correct. If so, move down until the student attains
90% are greater (>90%) on the Word List. Then continue upward until the student scores
less than 50% of a word list.
Levels:
Independent: 90-100%
Instructional: 70-85%
Frustration: below 70%
Passage Levels
Independent Level: 98%+ for Oral Reading Accuracy and 90%+ for Comprehension
Instructional Level: 90%-97% for Oral Reading Accuracy (use a criterion of 95%
accuracy if you are only counting those miscues that change passage meaning; If you are
counting all miscues, use a criterion of 90% accuracy) and 70%-88% for Comprehension
Frustration Level: <90% for Oral Reading Accuracy and <70% Comprehension
1. Begin with the Word List that is two or more years BELOW the student’s chronological
grade placement. For example, the pre-primer or primer list is a good starting point for
children in first through third grades.
2. Before administer the appropriate word list, decide on the method, in which you will
use for administration of the word list. (See page 30 of the variations for giving the word
list assessment, e.g., index cards, window card, or just give the plain list with paper to
move down to each word.) Be sure to use one-second timing in-between words. (You can
mentally count by saying “one thousand and one”).
3. Read these instructions to students, “I have some lists of words that I want you to read one
at a time. Some of the words will be easy for you, and some I expect to be very hard. Don’t
worry. You are not expected to know all of them. If you don’t know a word right away, try
your best to figure it out. I cannot help you in any way, and I cannot tell you whether you
are right or wrong. Just do your very best. Are you ready?”
4. While giving the word list assessment, keep track of accuracy of identification and
automaticity of response. Accuracy refers to whether or not the student reads the word
correctly. If an error is made, write down the phonetic equivalent of the error. For example,
if the student reads “live” with a long “I” sound, mark above the “I”. If the student changes
the word quite a bit, write the best phonetic equivalent. This provides some details as to
how the student approaches word identification. If a student self-corrects an error, write
“C” and count it as correct. If a student skips a word¸ write “d.k” (don’t know).
Automaticity of response refers to whether or not the student gives a response (correct or
not) within one second. Any response given within one-second should be counted as
correct and recorded in the Identified Automatically column. If the response is correct,
place a “C” in the column. If it is incorrect, write the phonetic equivalent. If the student
takes more than one second to begin a response, record the response in the Identified
Column. If it is a correct response, write “C”. If it is incorrect, write the phonetic
equivalent. **If a student gives an incorrect response within one second but then corrects it,
the word is a correct decoded word. (See page 32.)
5. Scoring- (see pages 33)
a. First, determine the student’s Word Recognition Level for each passage given.
Use only the Identified Automatically column.
b. Next, estimate the student’s Automatic Word Identification (p. 33). Count the
number of words read correct on each list to arrive at an independent,
instructional, or frustration level for automatic word recognition (see Key above).
Then, count the total number correct on both the Identified Automatically and the
Identified list and use this to arrive at a level for total word identification.
Compare the two to determine whether automatic word identification represents a
weakness for the student.
c. Estimating the starting point for passage administrationi. Administer the first list and score it to determine which level it
represents. If the student scores at an instructional or frustration level, the
examiner should move down until the student attains an independent
level. Then, continue upward until the student reaches a frustration level.
To ensure success, use the highest Grade Level in which the student
reached the Independent Level.
6. Prior Knowledge- Before each passage, administer the concept questions AND
prediction questions. (See pp. 36-38 for scoring)
a. Directions to students for concept questions: “Before you read, I want to know
what you already know about some ideas in the text. I will ask you a few
questions to find out.”
b. Directions to students for prediction tasks: “Given that the title of the passage
is__________, and it includes the ideas_____, _______, and______ (naming all
the concepts within the questions), what do you think the passage will be about?
***If the student repeats the title, probe him or her for more information. (Score
each answer as 3, 2, 1, or 0 [see p. 28 and/or the examiner’s record sheet]).
7. Administering/Scoring the QRI- After administering the Prior Knowledge questions,
have students to orally read a narrative and expository passage for each graded-level or
have students to orally read a narrative and silently read a narrative. For any oral
passages, count all miscues discussed in class. Use the Total Accuracy column to determine
the accuracy of the words in the passage.
Retelling: BEFORE asking the comprehension questions, remove the passage and ask the
student to retell the passage as if it were being told to someone who had never read or heard
it before. Have student complete the Retelling (place a check by each idea that is retold;
write in ideas that are not listed on the recall sheet; as an option, you may place a number
next to each retell clause to signify the sequence of the recall [1, 2, 3, etc.]) (See pp. 53-57
for examples and more details.)
Look Backs: You may give students in grades 3+ the option of looking back to find the
answers to the comprehension questions (see p. 512 for the benefits). If you use “look
backs”, you must explicitly state it in your assessment report.
Scoring: score as “right” or “wrong”, with no half points. See p. 58
(You should be able to contrastively discuss the student’s strengths from either a(n): (1)
narrative versus expository/informational stance both orally or (2) oral versus silent stance
both narrative.) (choose either) - Do not assess silent reading for students who are in
second grade or under.
(If you really have extra time and additional sessions with the student, you can compare the
student on oral versus silent and narrative versus informational  ; however, this is not a
requirement.