The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is an individually administered assessment of a child’s reading capabilities. It is a tool to be used by instructors to identify a student's independent reading level by assessing concepts about print, accuracy, fluency and comprehension. Once reading levels are identified, a teacher can use this information for instructional planning purposes and book recommendations for independent reading practice.
What is concepts about print? - Understandings of written language acquired by young children as they interact with literate persons and text and as a result of their membership in a literate society. For example, in English, children learn how print is organized (i.e., top to bottom, left to right), the purpose of the spaces between letters and punctuation and the relationship of graphics and text. As they develop as readers, children acquire concepts such as letters, words and sentences.
What is accuracy? - Fluent readers have automatic word recognition and the skills to sound out, or decode, unfamiliar words.
What is fluency? - The ability to act (speak, read, write) with ease and accuracy. Research indicates that oral reading fluency is the ability to read text accurately, with sufficient speed, prosody and expression. It is an essential component of reading because it permits the reader to focus on constructing meaning from the text rather than on decoding words.
What is comprehension? - Making meaning of what is viewed, read or heard. Comprehension includes understanding what is expressed outright or implied as well as interpreting what is viewed, read or heard by drawing on one's knowledge and experiences. Comprehension may also involve application and critical examination of the message in terms of intent, rhetorical choices and credibility.