Appendix C
Pre-Diagnostic Tools/
The Don Word Test
The primary purpose of the pre-diagnostic tools is to assist teachers in determining an appropriate range
of reading materials for the student to select from for the diagnostic reading and writing task. The tools
are not intended to be whole-class pre-assessment tasks. However, for teachers with insufficient or
contradictory information about individual students, these tools can be a guide in determining grade-level
reading materials for these students.
The information from the tools is an indicator of a student’s strengths in reading familiar and unfamiliar
words. The information can provide a basis for further instruction in reading and writing strategies, but it
is important to note that no single assessment tool is a measure of a student’s reading or writing skills. A
broader and more accurate picture of a student’s level of achievement and next steps is possible when the
assessment information is used in concert with teacher observation and student demonstration through a
variety of reading and writing tasks.
Before beginning any diagnostic assessment task, it is important to tell the student why you are
administering the task. For example, say: You will be doing a reading and writing task that will help me
know what you have already learned as a reader and writer. It will also help me to know how I might
help you choose reading materials that will support your learning.
The Don Word Test
The Don Word Test is a word identification tool that is used to determine the level of known words and
to note strategies the student uses to pronounce unfamiliar or unknown words. The test is an individual
one-on-one pre-diagnostic task.
Step 1: Make two photocopies of the Don Word Test word list (one each of Appendix C, pages 341
and 342).
Step 2: Provide the student with the photocopy of page 341. Use the copy of page 342 to record your
observations and to note the student’s word identification strategies
Step 3: Ask the student to identify words that are arranged in lines, and that gradually increase in
difficulty. For example, say: I have some words for you to read. They are arranged in lines
across the page, like this. There will be words that you know, and there may be some words that
are unfamiliar. Just try your best. Read as many as you can, and try each one. Begin here.
Step 4: Check each correct response on your copy of the word list. Record the student’s attempt (e.g.,
approximation, substitution) when a word is read incorrectly. Encourage the student to look for
parts that he or she knows in an unfamiliar word, or suggest the student skip a word that is
particularly frustrating.
Step 5: Thank the student for attempting each word.
Step 6: Count the correct responses and use the Age Band to determine a corresponding range of text
levels (see Appendix C, page 343).
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TDSB Literacy Success Diagnostic Kit.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.
Appendix C
The Don Word Test Word List
(continued)
Student Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________
can
all
to
she
see
at
good
run
here
and
play
when
down
make
my
three
little
has
we
ask
by
away
walk
know
give
has
they
very
today
from
toward
won’t
about
people
journey
because
before
would
fright
adventure
knock
through
serious
photograph
machines
straight
break
probably
caught
treasure
announce
appropriate
whether
restaurant
tongue
accident
enough
vehicle
delicious
audience
interrupt
licensed
encyclopedia
chemical
schedule
experience
caught
destiny
scientific
routine
limousine
exaggerate
outrageous
vigorous
excessively
technology
dialogue
disguise
officials
fatigue
pneumonia
allegiance
persuasive
foreign
archeologist
hypocritical
physician
conceited
conscientious
personnel
carnivorous
exhilarating
ecological
phenomenal
lieutenant
melancholy
depreciate
therapeutic
mythological
corpuscle
© Joyce MacDonald, Later Literacy™. Used with permission for TDSB classroom use only.
TDSB Literacy Success Diagnostic Kit.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.
341
Appendix C
The Don Word Test Word List
(continued)
Student Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________
4. good
9. run
5. here
10. and
1. can
6. all
2. to
7. she
3. see
8. at
11. play
16. when
12. down
17. make
13. my
18. three
14. little
19. has
15. we
20. ask
21. by
26. away
22. walk
27. know
23. give
28. has
24. they
29. very
25. today
30. from
31. toward
36. won’t
32. about
37. people
33. journey
38. because
34. before
39. would
35. fright
40. adventure
41. knock
46. through
42. serious
47. photograph
43. machines
48. straight
44. break
49. probably
45. caught
50. treasure
51. announce
56. appropriate
52. whether
57. restaurant
53. tongue
58. accident
54. enough
59. vehicle
55. delicious
60. audience
61. interrupt
66. licensed
62. encyclopedia
67. chemical
63. schedule
68. experience
64. caught
69. destiny
65. scientific
70. routine
71. limousine
76. exaggerate
72. outrageous
77. vigorous
73. excessively
78. technology
74. dialogue
79. disguise
75. officials
80. fatigue
81. pneumonia
86. allegiance
82. persuasive
87. foreign
83. archeologist
88. hypocritical
84. physician
89. conceited
85. conscientious
90. personnel
91. carnivorous
96. exhilarating
92. ecological
97. phenomenal
93. lieutenant
98. melancholy
94. depreciate
99. therapeutic
© Joyce MacDonald, Later Literacy™. Used with permission for TDSB classroom use only.
342
TDSB Literacy Success Diagnostic Kit.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.
95. mythological
100. corpuscle
Appendix C
The Don Word Test Scale (continued)
When a student has completed the Don Word Test as described in Appendix C, page 340, count the
correct responses and use the scale below to determine the student’s Age Band.
Words Correct
Age Band
Words Correct
Age Band
Words Correct
Age Band
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
5.10–6.04
5.11–6.05
6.00–6.06
6.01–6.07
6.02–6.08
6.03–6.09
6.04–6.10
6.05–6.11
6.06–7.00
6.07–7.01
6.08–7.02
6.09–7.03
6.10–7.04
6.11–7.05
7.00–7.06
7.01–7.07
7.02–7.08
7.03–7.09
7.04–7.10
7.05–7.11
7.06–8.00
7.07–8.01
7.08–8.02
7.09–8.03
7.10–8.04
7.11–8.05
8.00–8.06
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
8.01–8.07
8.02–8.08
8.03–8.09
8.04–8.10
8.05–8.11
8.06–9.00
8.08–9.02
8.09–9.03
8.10–9.04
8.11–9.05
9.01–9.07
9.02–9.08
9.04–9.10
9.06–10.00
9.08–10.02
9.09–10.03
9.11–10.05
10.00–10.06
10.02–10.08
10.03–10.09
10.04–10.10
10.06–11.00
10.07–11.01
10.09–11.03
10.10–11.04
11.00–11.06
11.01–11.07
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
11.03–11.09
11.05–11.11
11.07–12.01
11.09–12.03
11.11–12.05
12.01–12.07
12.03–12.09
12.05–12.11
12.07–13.01
12.09–13.03
12.11–13.05
13.00–13.06
13.02–13.08
13.04–13.10
13.06–14.00
13.07–14.01
13.09–14.03
13.11–14.05
14.01–14.07
14.03–14.09
14.05–14.11
14.07–15.01
14.09–15.03
14.11–15.05
15.01–15.07
15.03–15.09
15.05–15.11
© Joyce MacDonald, Later Literacy™. Used with permission for TDSB classroom use only.
The chart below outlines the Age Bands and their corresponding reading passages. Use this chart to
match students to an appropriate passage. Please note that these are approximations only; students should
be given their choice of passages within a grade-cluster range. For example, if the Don Word Test
indicates that a student is reading in the Grade 5 range, give the student a choice of passages from late
Grade 4 to early Grade 6.
Age Band
Grade Level
Appropriate Reading Passages
9–10
Grade 4
“Scream Machines” (early grade) / “Taking It to the Extreme” (later grade)
10–11
Grade 5
“Skateboarder Jailed for Riding on City Street” (early grade)
“Superbugs!” (later grade)
11–12
Grade 6
“Chill Out!” (early grade) / “A Floating Disaster” (later grade)
12–13
Grade 7
“The Franklin Expedition” (early grade)
“Take Nothing but Pictures” (later grade)
“Tsunami!” (at grade) / “The Halifax Explosion” (at grade)
13–14
Grade 8
“Strange Sea Creatures” (early grade) / “Marketing to Teens” (later grade)
“Taming the Tiger” (at grade) / “Save the Amazon Rainforest!” (at grade)
14–15
Grade 9
“Is the Law Too Soft on Youth Crime?” (at grade)
“Simple Technology, Super Potential” (at grade)
15–16
Grade 10
“Sunk!” (at grade) / “Carbon Offsets” (at grade)
TDSB Literacy Success Diagnostic Kit.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.
343