SunshineMom Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I am considering using the DORA test to assess my dd6yr and dd8yr. If you have used this assessment, was it helpful? I am testing each for a different reason. My 8dd is a struggling reader (she has some learning disabilities) and my 6dd is an advanced reader. I would like get a better picture of where they are at and also want to chart their progress. We have been using Spell to Write and Read for a phonics and spelling along with daily readings of 20minutes. Also, how long is the k-12 assessment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 The DORA is a great test, especially for the money! It is individualized in the sense that it adapts to your child, similar to an individual achievement test. So if your child is in 2nd grade and it says that she is comprehending at a 9th grade level (or whatever), she has actually been tested at that level because it has passages going up to 12th grade level. In order to get as much as possible out of the assessment, I highly recommend watching your child take it. This way you'll not only be able to help with any computer issues but you'll also (more importantly) be able to see strengths and weaknesses for yourself. And you'll be able to see where she struggles and where it's easy. I've used the DORA with each of my sons, one of whom has dyslexia and the other who is an advanced reader. I've found the results to be helpful and retesting over time also to be helpful. I think the test takes about an hour. It sort of depends because if your child starts out at a low grade level and doesn't get enough wrong to stop the test for many grade levels then the test could take longer. But you can stop it in the middle and pick it up again later. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I have found the DORA testing helpful within reason. Like any other test they must be viewed with a grain of salt. I have found the overall reading level results to be relatively accurate but had difficulty with the individual areas at times. Definately worth the small price, especially with the discount at www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Thank you for the reviews....I went ahead and purchased DORA thru the Homeschooling Buyer's club (saved $8!)-thanks for that tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I had a good experiene giving the DORA test to my daughter. I really liked that it allowed testing "out of level." Here are a few areas where wish I'd better prepared my daughter. 1) My daughter had poor mouse skills, which hampered her ability to click the answer she wanted. 2) I didn't know that one of the sections is timed. I let my daughter daddle with that section, so I don't quite trust those results. 3) You can stop and restart in the middle of the test. My daughter got tired in the middle and would have benefited from a rest in the middle. She went straight through, and it took about an hour. 4) On the reading comprehension section you can take as long as you want to read the passage, but you can't go back to the passage when answering the questions. My daughter is used to skimming a passage and then looking back when answering the questions. I found most of the results to be good to know, and it helped me understand why my daughter struggled in some areas despite great ability in other areas. The only section I found useless was the phenomic awareness section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 My 6dd took the DORA test. A couple of problems right off the bat...she wanted to go too fast and carelessly clicked which produced wrong answers right away. She got pretty far with reading comprehension but wanted to stop all together at the Trail of Tears. I wanted her scores but messed the whole thing up (to long to tell you about) so she took it again. Well this time I had her sloooow down and she did much better but then got tired and went to the reading comprehension and made grave errors due to mouse errors/being tired....she did not even get to where she was the first time around. So looking at her scores is a little tricky. I did learn that "testing" has its flaws and limitations. I was surprised to see her vocab at high 5th grade, wished I could view her reading comprehension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Take the vocabulary with a very large grain of salt. My kids use Unique Reader and I had to really adjust the vocabulary levels down in practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 I hear what you are saying about vocabulary....DORA is really testing oral vocabulary skills when not in the reading comprehension piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 One thing to mention about this area of the test. My daughter knew enough about soil erosion without reading the section (she did though) to get each comprehension question correct. So.....previous knowledge on the topic to read can effect one's scores. Just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I have found the DORA testing helpful within reason. Like any other test they must be viewed with a grain of salt. I have found the overall reading level results to be relatively accurate but had difficulty with the individual areas at times. Definately worth the small price, especially with the discount at www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org. ;) Sorry for being dense, but can you link to the order page for this? I looked on the Coop website in the Testing/Assessment section, and the only choices I see are A+ Learning, Kaplan SAT, Let's Go Learn Math, and Let's Go Learn English. Is it part of one of these? Or did the group buy for the DORA test just expire? :confused: TIA, Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 One thing to mention about this area of the test. My daughter knew enough about soil erosion without reading the section (she did though) to get each comprehension question correct. So.....previous knowledge on the topic to read can effect one's scores. Just my .02 :iagree: I gave my son this test at the end of K or 1st grade and he scored at something like an 8th grade level. Boy, I felt like I was a great teacher! The problem is, the score was really inflated because I don't think he's reading at an 8th grade level now that he's in 4th grade. I don't really know why the score was so inflated, but it was at least partially because of what Jewel mentioned. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 One thing to mention about this area of the test. My daughter knew enough about soil erosion without reading the section (she did though) to get each comprehension question correct. So.....previous knowledge on the topic to read can effect one's scores. Just my .02 This is the case with all reading comprehension. ED Hirsch has written extensively about this. http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/spring2003/AE_SPRNG.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Sorry for being dense, but can you link to the order page for this? I looked on the Coop website in the Testing/Assessment section, and the only choices I see are A+ Learning, Kaplan SAT, Let's Go Learn Math, and Let's Go Learn English. Is it part of one of these? Or did the group buy for the DORA test just expire? :confused:TIA, Jackie The DORA test is the "Let's Go Learn Reading Assessment" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 I read the article by Hirsch, thank you for posting. I was not surprised by the findings however a couple of ideas caught my attention. If the ability to decode quickly is essential to fluency along with an understanding of basic sentence structure, why is grammar disconnected from reading and rather taught with writing? I have taught my children basic grammar while they were reading so that they may understand the context of their reading. With regards to vocabulary, a child may understand a word orally but not be able to decode (read) that same word. The disconnect is a place for remedial reading (phonics). Additonally, it is vital that children "hear a word" in additon to "seeing a word" otherwise they may acquire an understanding of a word in writing but not be able to speak that word if they are unable to phonically sound out that word. Once again a case for phonics! Interesting fact from article: 12th grade student, scoring well on the verbal portion of the SAT knows between 60,000-100,000 words! After reading this article, I once again am reminded to read more nonfiction to the kids. By the way, DORA tests comprehension with nonfiction reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 The DORA test is the "Let's Go Learn Reading Assessment" Thank you! Has anyone used the Math assessment (DOMA), or the software that coordinates with the assessments (Unique Reader & Unique Math)? Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexfam Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I have used DORA before with my son twice. Once was when he was 5 (right b4 he started ps K) and he scored pretty high. The next time I gave my son the same test was about a year later. His reading comprehension jumped from 3rd grade to 9th grade and his ability to read words went from 5th grade to 12.8 grade. However, my son doesn't read any books that are between 4th-9th grade but he can read anything I give him. He actually chooses books that are for 2nd-4th grade with a few books that are for 5th-9th grade. So, even if you child scores high I wouldn't go by that completely. My son also took the DORA Math. There were certain area in one grade that my son didn't know how to do so the test just stopped for the grade level. However, after the test I was able to see the math areas for the grade level the my son didn't take and he could have done some of the math areas that were considered to be higher for the grade and several areas for the next grade. Just b/c he didn't know a couple of the lower areas they didn't test him on the higher areas. So, in this the test doesn't show the true academic level of my son. I really wish the test would have just skipped those parts and went on to the next and atleast let him take the test fore the complete grade level he was testing on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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