Videos to support using the DIBELS NWF subtest

See below for two videos about the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) subtest. 

DIBELS was developed by the University of Oregon and consists of a set of measures for assessing readings skills. DIBELS NWF subtest is a one–minute test to assess a student’s ability to read “made–up” words in order to assess their knowledge of sound-spelling patterns and ability to blend sounds into words. 

The first video has an explanation of the NWF subtest from Dr Jane Carroll, Senior Professional Practice Fellow, College of Education, University of Otago.  Dr Carroll gives an insight into the subtest – its background, tips for conducting the subtest, and suggestions for teachers to maximise the experience for the teacher and the student. 

The second video is about scoring. It shows Dr Carroll working through a DIBELS NWF subtest with a student and provides an explanation of the related scoring sheet. 

You can find more information on DIBELS NWF and the wider suite of subtests here: DIBELS 8th Edition: Australasian Version Materials | DIBELS® .

DIBELS NWF Subtest and the phonics check

The DIBELS NWF subtest and the Ministry of Educations phonics checks  can be used in year 1 in complementary ways.

The phonics checks help teachers assess a student’s progress in relation to the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum expectations and national student norms. These checks offer detailed achievement levels that show where a student is in their learning and what an appropriate teaching response is for each level.

DIBLES NWF subtest can be used at school entry to establish a student’s baseline knowledge, providing a reference point from which to measure their learning progress across the year. It can also be used for monitoring progress throughout the first year of school, leading up to and between the two phonics checks. DIBELS NWF subtest can be used for benchmarking and progress tracking up to the end of year 4.

For more information on structured literacy approaches, go to the section Structured Literacy Approaches

For more information on phonics checks, go to the section Phonics Checks – Guidance for schools