Parent Resources
ORF-ACCU, ORAL READING FLUENCY-ACCURACY: measures how accurately a child can read a short passage out loud and understand. The score is given as a percentage of accurate words/total words read.
ORF-WC, ORAL READING FLUENCY-WORD COUNT: measures how many words a child read accurately total in a short passage. The score is a raw score (and not a percentage), which can help to determine both how accurately and quickly a child can read the passage.
MAZE: measures a child’s comprehension of a short passage by reading silently. the child picks a word from three choices that would make the most sense when filling in a blank (i.e. “she went to get some (water/toys/markers) because she was thirsty.”
COMPOSITE SCORE: gives an overall indicator of reading proficiency by combining scores from all subtests. The score falls into one of four ranges as seen on the next page.
LNF - LETTER NAMING FLUENCY: measures how quickly a child can recognize and name letters
PSF - PHONEME SEGMENTATION FLUENCY: assesses a child’s ability to break words into individual sounds i.e. “cat” has three sounds: /c/ /a/ /t/
NWF - NONSENSE WORD FREQUENCY: measures child’s ability to sound out nonsense words (words that do not exist i.e. “faff”). This helps to indicate how a child can sound out words versus recognize words by memorization.
“DIBELS” stands for dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills. The assessment is a progress monitoring tool that is usually given three times per year to students in grades kindergarten through third. “DIBELS” consists of multiple, short subtests and is used to monitor a student’s early literacy skills. The subtests most frequently used are:
What is the “DIBELS” Assessment?
What Does My Child’s Composite Score Mean?
The composite score is the overall indicator of reading proficiency and is calculated by combining the scores from all subtests. Depending on your child’s score, they will fall into one of the four ranges as seen in the chart, either: well below benchmark, below benchmark, at benchmark or above benchmark.
How Can I Find Books Based Off of My Child’s “DIBELS” Score?
How to Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Conference
In order to make the most of your all-too-quick time with your child’s teacher, read through these questions and decide which ones resonate most with you. In an ideal world, we could ask all of these questions and more, but if you can’t choose, check out the “cheat sheet” questions. These three questions, while specific, lead to a broader picture of what your child looks like in the classroom in terms of academic and social-emotional well-being. And expert tip, and I’m saying this as a former classroom teacher, do not be afraid to follow-up! If there are questions on the list that you didn’t get to ask or you want to delve deeper on a particular topic, email your child’s teacher. And speaking as a parent now, do it shortly after the meeting before you put it off and forget!
Reading at Home: A Long-Term Investment in Your Child’s Future
Just like potty training, helping your child learn to love reading can be messy, exhausting, and time-consuming. But make no mistake — the payoff is huge.
With patience, consistency, and the right guidance, your child can grow into an independent, confident reader. And you don’t have to do it alone.
Check out Booktrition’s handpicked book selections, curated by reading experts, to support independent reading at home. Because every great reader starts with a great book — and a parent who shows them the way.
Question: Shouldn’t my child choose every book they read?
At Booktrition, we believe kids should read what they love—and what helps them grow. The right mix of enjoyment and challenge builds strong reading skills and a lifelong love of books.
But as many parents know, the books kids love aren’t always the ones that help them grow. That’s where you come in.
There are three key ways to support reading at home: you reading to them, them reading to you, and them reading independently. We call these the “Big 3” of raising readers.
The last two won’t apply much for kids in Pre-K and below—but as your child learns to read, they’ll become more important. On the flip side, parents often read aloud less as kids get older, shifting toward listening and independent reading in the later elementary years.
The “Big 3” of Raising Readers
Research shows that children’s reading needs evolve as they develop. In early childhood, shared reading with a caregiver supports language acquisition and fosters a love of stories. As children gain decoding skills, reading aloud to an adult and independent reading become increasingly important for building fluency and comprehension. Because of this, the reading routine naturally changes as your child grows older, adapting to their developing skills and interests.
🗣️Reading to Your Child
Choose literally anything.
Books that are too hard for them to read alone are perfect for reading together. This is your chance to stretch their vocabulary, build background knowledge, and just enjoy stories — no matter the topic, reading level, or length of book.
Dinosaurs? Tooth fairies? Talking animals? Yes.
Picture books? Chapter books? Absolutely.
Harry Potter or The Bad Seed for the eighth time? Go for it.
If they’re excited about it, read it. This is how you grow curiosity and connection.
👂 Have Your Child Read to You
Choose from our “just-right” books.
These are books they can mostly read on their own, but may still need occasional help. Think of this time as a mini five- or ten-minute tutoring session where you are listening, assessing, and helping as needed. “Just-right” books are often aligned with what they’re learning in school — especially when it comes to phonics and decoding.
We’ve analyzed the phonics content in these books to match classroom instruction. These are the “stretch zone” books — not too easy, not too hard, but just right for learning.
Read these together, talk through tricky words, and celebrate the effort.
Check out books by age here:
✌️ Independent Reading
Let them take the lead.
This is where reading confidence grows. Let your child choose books to read on their own — even if they’re a little too easy (yay, fluency!) or a little too hard (hello, curiosity!).
Keep offering those “just right” books, but don’t be afraid to mix in graphic novels, re-read favorites, or explore a whole pile of random interests. The goal is not perfection — it’s momentum and fostering a love of reading.