- 1). Determine what students will be given the DRA, how often the test will be administered and the current reading level of the student being tested. The DRA is usually administered on an annual or semiannual basis; it can be given more frequently to struggling students. While any student can be given a DRA, the DRA is typically taken by students experiencing difficulty reading so teachers can monitor their progress throughout the school year.
- 2). Determine the current DRA reading level of the student. Reading levels are determined by analyzing a student's grade level and ability as a reader. A guide for this can be found at PerfectionLearning.com/images/products/pdfs/rlChart.pdf. Some instructions for administering the DRA may differ based upon the reading level of the student.
- 3). Choose a text that is at the current reading level of the student. Inform the student he or she will be reading the story aloud to you and should try to do the best he or she can. There is no time limit for this section of the test. Also tell the student that when he or she is done reading, he or she will have time to reread the story silently. She or he will then be asked to retell the story from beginning to end.
- 4). Time the student's oral reading in order to determine his or her reading rate. Record the exact number of minutes and seconds the child read aloud. Once the oral reading ends, the students may begin rereading the story silently. The teacher may use this time to calculate the student's phrasing score based on the rubric. The phrasing score converts the student's total number of oral reading errors into an accuracy score.
- 5). The teacher may then choose to have the student retell the story in his or her own words, or question the student about what he or she just read.
- 6). Complete the observation guide of the DRA based on the instructions in the rubric. Total the scores for the sections on accuracy, rate, phrasing and retelling to determine the strengths or weaknesses of the student.
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