Glossary · Fluency and assessment
What is universal screening?
Definition
Universal screening is giving every student a short reading check, usually three times a year, to find those who may need extra support early.
Universal means everyone, including students no one is worried about. Screening casts a wide net so that no student falls through simply because they're quiet or well behaved.
Screeners are brief, often a few minutes per student. In kindergarten and first grade they usually check letter sounds, phonemic awareness and nonsense-word reading. From first grade on, oral reading fluency is common.
A screener flags risk; it doesn't explain it. A student who scores low gets a closer look, often a phonics survey or other skill check, to find out what to teach. Many states now require screening for reading difficulty, including signs associated with dyslexia, in the early grades.
In a lesson
In September, every first grader reads letter sounds and a short list of nonsense words. Eight of 60 score below the cut point, and each gets a phonics survey the following week.
Why does this matter for the record?
Record each screening score with its season and the cut point used. A score means little without the benchmark beside it.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.