Phonics Assessments:

Decoding & Encoding

A PRINTABLE RESOURCE FROM THE MEASURED MOM

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Note: As I designed this assessment, I was inspired by CORE’s Assessing

Reading: Multiple Measures spiral-bound edition. This is an excellent all-in-
one assessment tool, and I highly recommend it!

LEARN MORE
plus

©Anna Geiger – themeasuredmom.com

 How to Prepare
Use the decoding assessment to determine the level of your students’ phonics knowledge.
This knowledge will help you form small groups and focus your instruction.

OPTIONAL: Administer the encoding (spelling) assessment on a different day. Expect that
students’ encoding ability will be lower than their decoding ability. You can use the results of
this assessment to help you guide your dictation exercises.

Print a copy of the Decoding Assessment Record Form for each of your students.

Pages: Print one copy of the student pages. I suggest putting them in plastic sleeves and
placing them in a binder. You will use them over and over again.

When & What to Administer

Set aside time at the beginning of the year, in the middle of the year, and toward the end of the
year to assess your students’ phonics knowledge with the decoding assessment.

Please note: Some students in grades 1, 2, and 3 will need to be assessed on earlier levels than
those stated below. You will get a feel for this after you start giving the assessment. Back up as
far as necessary.

Also note: If you are testing an advanced reader, keep going on the assessment – past what is
recommended below – until the child is getting weary or making multiple mistakes.

Fall Winter Spring

Kindergarten Parts 1-2* Parts 1-5* Parts 1-5*

1st Grade Part 5* Parts 5-14* Parts 5-22*

2nd Grade Parts 15-22* Parts 15-22* Parts 15-22*

3rd Grade & Up As needed As needed As needed

*Remember to keep going on the assessment if a child is having success, even if you
have completed the recommended sections for his/her grade level. Also, if the lowest
recommended section is too hard for the student, back up to an easier section.

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 Decoding
Assessment

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 Decoding Assessment: Record Form
Student Name _________________ Date ______

PART 1 - LETTER NAMES - UPPERCASE

Can you tell me the names of these letters?
If the student cannot name three or more letters in a row, ask the child to identify the letters s/he does know. If the
letter name is correct, do not mark it. If it is incorrect, write what the student said instead. If the students gives no
name, circle the letter.

T A R N G E J P Z
K M H C Q U F X Y
S B L I V D W O
_______ 26

PART 2 - LETTER NAMES - LOWERCASE

Can you tell me the names of these letters?
If the student cannot name three or more letters in a row, ask the child to identify the letters s/he does know. If
the letter name is correct, do not mark it. If it is incorrect, write what the student said instead. If the student
gives no name, circle the letter.

h o e c f r j z n

t i b u a x g l m

s k v p q d w y
_______ 26

PART 3 - CONSONANT SOUNDS

Can you tell me the sound of each letter?
If the letter sound is correct, do not mark it. If it is incorrect, write what the student said instead.. If the student
gives no sound, circle the letter. (Tip: Ask students if they know other sounds for the letters c and g.)

b n h l s j p

v d c x g y r

t m w k f z q
_______ 21

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PART 4 – VOWEL SOUNDS
Can you tell me the sound of each letter?
If the child names the long or short sound correctly, put a checkmark in the blank. Then ask, Do you know another
sound for this letter? If an incorrect sound is named, write it in the blank. If no sound is given, circle the blank.

e ____ ____ i ____ ____ a ____ ____ u ____ ____ o ____ ____
LONG SHORT LONG SHORT LONG SHORT LONG SHORT LONG SHORT

Long Vowel Sounds: ________ / 5

Short Vowel Sounds: ________ /5

PART 5 – CVC WORDS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

sat pin let run hop

fip vam sot neb mun _______ 10

PART 6 – CONSONANT DIGRAPHS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

when ship chat such moth

chib thed wuth shan whid _______ 10

PART 7 – FLOSS RULE

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three of more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.

cuff jazz mill puff mess

biss rell duff nizz yoff _______ 10

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PART 8 – INITIAL BLENDS
First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

grit slug plot frog stem

crod grap flob blit snup _______ 10

PART 9 – FINAL BLENDS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three of more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.

sand hint cast lump next

nulk fept misp rint baft _______ 10

PART 10 – CVCE WORDS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

tame cone tube dime late

hane bime noke fode sude _______ 10

PART 11 – VOWEL TEAMS #1

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

peep team nail day soap

vay yain neef jeem hean _______ 10

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PART 12 – VOWEL TEAMS #2
First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

low high doe cool my

boe noop yigh voe righ _______ 10

PART 13 – R-CONTROLLED VOWELS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

part hurt fern bird horn

werf narp durp dorn pirn _______ 10

PART 14 – DIPHTHONGS & COMPLEX VOWELS

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.

law boil faun soy pout

voim foud yaw boun poy _______ 10

PART 15 – MULTISYLLABLE WORDS: VC/CV (CLOSED-CLOSED SYLLABLES)

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

object tablet infect fabric bandit

midwit binfend mactus fontext witten _______ 10

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PART 16 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: V/CV (OPEN-CLOSED SYLLABLES)
Read the line of words aloud.
If the student cannot read two or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.
(This item does not include nonwords because a knowledge of vocabulary is necessary to pronounce V/CV words
correctly.)

basic raven robot music hotel _______ 5

PART 17 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: VC/V (CLOSED-CLOSED SYLLABLES)

Read the line of words aloud.
If the student cannot read two or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.
(This item does not include nonwords because a knowledge of vocabulary is necessary to pronounce VC/V words
correctly.)

panic cabin comic vanish denim _______ 5

PART 18 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: ONE OR MORE MAGIC E SYLLABLES

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

lifetime unsafe inside inhale escape

wiretan semtire binfale menjive wirelace _______ 10

PART 19 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: ONE OR MORE VOWEL TEAM SYLLABLES

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

leapfrog freeway bobtail airbag eardrum

baitress millow nighday misway rightmay _______ 10

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PART 20 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: ONE OR MORE R-CONTROLLED SYLLABLES
Read the line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

birthday hamster vertex popcorn jaybird

hilmer maytork bulbert miswurb sutner _______ 10

PART 21 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: ONE OR MORE DIPHTHONG SYLLABLES

Read the line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a word
correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the word.

rawhide jawbone discount bailout chowder

wintoint tocklaw toutburt hitnoy toilcan _______ 10

PART 22 – MULTISYLLABIC WORDS: ONE OR MORE CONSONANT-LE SYLLABLES

First row: Read the first line of words aloud.
Second row: Now read the second line of made-up words aloud. Don’t try to make them sound like real words.
If the student cannot read three or more of the words, consider stopping the assessment. If the student reads a
word correctly, do not mark it. If the student reads a word incorrectly, write what the student said underneath the
word.

amble shuttle sizzle jangle cripple

suzzle zeedle tubble mattle yuckle _______ 10

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 Student Pages
(Print and put in plastic sleeves)

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T A R N G E J P Z

UPPERCASE LETTER NAMES

K M H C Q U F X Y
S B L I V D W O

h o e c f r j z n

LOWERCASE LETTER NAMES

t i b u a x g l m
s k v p q d w y

b n h l s j p
CONSONANT SOUNDS
v d c x g y r
t m w k f z q
SOUNDS

e i a u o
VOWEL

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sat pin let run hop

CVC
fip vam sot neb mun

when ship chat such moth

DIGRAPHS
chib thed wuth shan whid

cuff jazz mill puff mess

FLOSS RULE
biss rell duff nizz yoff

INITIAL BLENDS
grit slug plot frog stem
crod grap flob blit snup

sand hint cast lump next

FINAL BLENDS

nulk fept misp rint baft

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tame cone tube dime late

CVCE
hane bime noke fode sude

VOWEL TEAMS #1
peep team nail day soap
vay yain neef jeem hean

VOWEL TEAMS #2
low high doe cool my
boe noop yigh voe righ

part hurt fern bird horn

R-CONTROLLED
werf narp durp dorn pirn COMPLEX VOWELS

law boil faun soy pout

DIPHTHONGS &

voim foud yaw boun poy

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 object tablet infect fabric bandit

VC/CV
midwit binfend mactus fontext witten

basic raven robot music hotel

V/CV
VC/V
panic cabin comic vanish denim

lifetime unsafe inside inhale escape

SYLLABLE
MAGIC E
wiretan semtire binfale menjive wirelace

leapfrog freeway bobtail airbag eardrum

VOWEL TEAM
SYLLABLE
baitress millow nighday misway rightmay

birthday hamster vertex popcorn jaybird

R-CONTROLLED
SYLLABLE

hilmer maytork bulbert miswurb sutner

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rawhide jawbone discount bailout chowder

DIPHTHONG
SYLLABLE
wintoint tocklaw toutburt hitnoy toilcan

amble shuttle sizzle jangle cripple

CONSONANT--LE
SYLLABLE
suzzle zeedle tubble mattle yuckle

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 Write the number correct in each box for the
Decoding Assessment Summary assessments that were given to a particular student.

3-Consonant

7-Floss Rule
6-Digraphs
1-UC Letter

2-LC Letter

10-CVCE
4-Vowel

8-Initial
Sounds

Sounds
Names

Blends

Blends
9-Final
names

5-CVC
Student
Names

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 Names
Student

11- Vowel
Teams #1

12- Vowel
Teams #2

13- R-
Controlled

14- Diphthongs
Decoding Assessment Summary

& Complex
Vowels

15- VC/CV

16- V/CV

17- VC/V

18- Magic E
Syllable

18- Vowel
Team Syllable

20- R-
Controlled
Syllable

21- Diphthong
Syllable
Write the number correct in each box for the

22- Consonant-
le Syllable
assessments that were given to a particular student.

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 Encoding
Assessment
(Optional)

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 Encoding Assessment: Teacher Page

I suggest administering sections of the encoding assessment in multiple sessions, especially if your learner is
tiring. If you are working straight through, keep going until your learner has made multiple mistakes in two
successive sections (or if s/he needs to take a break; resume at a later date).

If your scope and sequence goes in a different order, feel free to move ahead or skip sections as needed.

It’s time for you to spell some real and silly words. Do the best you can with what you know about letters
and sounds. Remember, some of these words will be real words and some will not. If the word is a real word,
I will use it in a sentence.

*Note to Teacher : Nonsense words are in italics.

Diphthong or Complex
Vowel Syllable
1. rin 26. cave 51. object 76. chowder
2. tob 27. noke 52. mactus 77. bitnoy
CVCE
CVC

53. fabric

VC/CV
3. bed 28. bike 78. wintoit
4. jat 29. late 54. midwit 79. discount
5. cup 30. fode 55. bandit 80. jawbone
6. shop 31. sleep V/CV & VC/V 56. basic 81. shuttle

Consonant-le
7. thin 32. cream 57. thesis 82. tubble
Digraphs

Syllable
58. tripod
Long Vowel Teams

8. ched 33. soap 83. zeedle

9. when 34. quaint 59. humid 84. jangle
10. shan 35. fly 60. cabin 85. sizzle
11. puff 36. fruit 61. shipshape
Magic E Syllable
FLOSS Rule

12. will 37. toe 62. outline

13. mess 38. grow 63. semtire
14. yoff 39. stay 64. inside
15. rell 40. high 65. menjive
16. snip 41. bird 66. eardrum
R-Controlled

Vowel Team

17. blot 42. horn 67. misway

Syllable
Blends

68. leapfrog
Initial

18. snum 43. hurt

19. drap 44. dorn 69. millow
20. slan 45. fern 70. airbag
21. cast 46. boil 71. popcorn
Complex Vowels

R-Controlled

72. sutner
Final Blends

22. lump
Diphthongs &
Initial AND

47. pout
Syllable

23. stomp 48. saw 73. hamster

24. thrash 49. boy 74. vertex
25. blist 50. down 75. jaybird

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 Student Page
(Print one for each student)

Have students write the number of the word in the small box. You may wish
to dictate the actual number on the teacher form, or have the student start
with #1 regardless of which words that you’re reading from the teacher form.

It is highly unlikely that you will use the whole form in one sitting. If you
continue at a different date, jot the new date next to the next set of words.

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Student Name _____________________________ Date ___________

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 Write the number correct in each box for the
Encoding Assessment Summary assessments that were given to a particular student.

Diphthongs
& Complex
Controlled
Digraphs

Vowels
Blends

Blends

Teams
FLOSS

VC/CV
Vowel
Initial

CVCE
Final
Student

Rule
CVC

R-
Names

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 Write the number correct in each box for the
Encoding Assessment Summary assessments that were given to a particular student.

Consonant-le
Diphthong or
R-Controlled
V/CV & VC/V

Vowel Team

Complex
Magic E
Syllable

Syllable

Syllable

Syllable

Syllable
Vowel
Student
Names

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