Scoring Options for Nonsense Word Fluency or Decodable Real Words
District Managers may configure the account to score all students who complete the earlyReading Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) and/or Decodable Real Words (DRW) measures by sound or by word.
Note: FastBridge Learning recommends using whole-word scoring because it is more accurate. FastBridge only provides Benchmarks & Norms by word. We do not have Benchmarks & Norms by sound.
- By Sound: This option allows the student to receive credit for each sound produced correctly when reading a Nonsense or Decodable word. Errors in sound production are not awarded points.
When the "By Sound" scoring method is selected via the District Manager Assessment Options configurations, it sets this scoring method district-wide. Thus, each sound a student produces correctly receives one point.
Example: The word "cat" sounded out as /k/ /i/ /t/ would earn two (2) points out of the three (3) points possible for that word. The word “cat” sounded out as /k/ /a/ /t/, or read correctly as “kat” would receive three (3) points.
- By Word: This option allows the student to receive credit for each whole word (or nonsense word) read correctly. Any sound(s) produced in error results in a score of zero for the whole word.
When the "By Word" scoring method is selected via the District Manager Assessment Options configurations, it sets this scoring method district-side. Thus, each word a student produces correctly receives full credit. No partial credit is given.
Example: The word "cat" is read as a "kit," (read as a whole word, not sound-by-sound) the whole word is considered incorrect and zero (0) points are earned. No partial credit is given.
Similarly, if the student read the word "cat" as /k/ /i/ /t/ [i.e., three (3) separate sounds, two (2) of which were correctly produced], the whole word is still considered incorrect. No partial credit is given.
Please note: Regardless of which scoring method is used, we only benchmark By Word. We do not have benchmarks for scoring By Sound.
Nonsense Word Fluency is used as the sample measure below; however, the scoring is identical for Decodable Real Words.
Example 1: “By Sound” Configuration:
Nonsense Word Fluency
District Manager Configuration:
Scoring screen: Errors are shown in pink below. The last sound produced is marked in green.
Results: Errors are shown in red for each sound produced incorrectly. Correctly produced sounds are shown in black. Items not reached within the time limit appear in "Not Attempted."
Example 2: “By Word” Configuration:
Nonsense Word Fluency
By Word: This option allows the student to receive credit for each whole word (or nonsense word) read correctly. Any sound(s) produced in error results in a score of zero for the whole word.
Nonsense Word Fluency is used as the sample measure below; however, the scoring is identical for Decodable Real Words.
District Manager Configuration:
Scoring screen: Errors are shown in pink below. The last sound produced is marked in green.
Results: Correctly read words are listed in "Correct Items." Words read incorrectly are listed in "Incorrect Items" and words not attempted are listed under "Not Attempted."
