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Comprehension and Oral Discourse Comprehension, and will require you to query the examinee to clarify his or her response. Specific queries are listed in the record form. When querying is done, a notation such as “Q” should be made on the record form.

Prompts are used to encourage examinees or request clarification. For example, an examinee may give multiple responses and it is unclear which response is the final answer. In such instances you should ask the examinee which is the intended response. Unclear written responses are prompted sparingly. During standardization, most examiners did not clarify illegible responses, so written responses were scored based on what could be deciphered. Refer to the Don’t Forget box for a summary of the recommended prompts to use in various circumstances.

Don’t Forget

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Recommended Prompts

SUBTEST-BY-SUBTEST NOTES ON ADMINISTRATION

This section highlights pertinent information for administering each of the WIAT-III subtests and points out common errors in administration. Generally subtests are listed in record form order, although subtests with very similar administration considerations have been grouped together.

Listening Comprehension

Listening Comprehension has two components: Receptive Vocabulary and Oral Discourse Comprehension. Prior to administering Receptive Vocabulary, you should become familiar with how to pronounce each item correctly by listening to the audio

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file/CD (track 22) and referring to the pronunciation guide in the Examiners Manual. Administration of Receptive Vocabulary requires use of the stimulus book. The subtest always begins with item 1 and continues until the examinee answers four consecutive items incorrectly.

The stimulus book is used to administer Oral Discourse Comprehension; however, administration of Oral Discourse Comprehension also requires the audio files/CD. The audio files can be played using a smart phone, CD player, MP3 player, computer, or any other device that plays media files. Prior to administering Oral Discourse Comprehension, you should listen to the audio file to adjust the volume of your media player and become familiar with when to push pause and how to change tracks in forward and reverse direction. To improve the reliability of administration and maintain standard procedure, use of the audio file is highly recommended. However, the examinee may be administered without use of the audio file by reading the item passages from the record form. If the audio file is not used, the item passages should be read aloud at a natural, conversational pace with a clear speaking voice. Ensure that the examinee is paying attention prior to starting each passage because passages cannot be repeated.

The reverse rule should not be applied too rigidly on Oral Discourse Comprehension. If the examinee has answered three consecutive items incor- 22222222111111111 rectly and there is one additional item remaining that pertains to a given passage, do not reverse immediately to the preceding passage. Rather, administer the remaining question that pertains to the passage before reversing, and then reverse to the preceding passage.

Early Reading Skills

For the Early Reading Skills subtest, some items share a stimulus book page, so pay close attention to the record form and the item numbers printed on the stimulus book pages to ensure that you present the correct page for each item. All items must be administered. This subtest does not use a discontinue rule because items are not ordered by di - culty. Rather, items are grouped by the type of skill being measured, and item

di culty varies within and across skills. Recording the examinee’s verbatim response is recommended.

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Reading Comprehension

The stimulus book contains the passages necessary to administer the Reading Comprehension subtest. Allow the examinee to review each passage while answering questions, and encourage the examinee to look back at the passage if he or she is hesitant to do so. Recording the examinee’s verbatim response is recommended for later reference, particularly when the examinee’s response is scored less than 2 points.

item set in which the examinee meets the basal criterion.

to read the passage and you believe that starting at the grade-appropriate start point would be detrimental to the exam-

inee’s subsequent motivation and performance, you may begin one start point below the grade-appropriate start point.

C A U T I O N

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Testing Academically Gifted or Advanced Readers on Reading Comprehension

Question: I have a first grader, age 7 years 4 months, who took the Grade 1 item set and obtained a raw score of 23 (weighted raw score of 48), which converts to an age-based standard score of 98. Later cognitive testing and classroom observation indicated that this child is gifted with an IQ in the very superior range. Six months later, she was tested again on the Reading Comprehension subtest outside of the limits. The examiner realized that the child could read the sixth-grade passages (Items 38–59) and still receive a raw score of 16 (weighted raw score of 48),

(continued)

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on individual items and for summing the percentage of items for which the examinee used paper and pencil.

Alphabet Writing Fluency

The Alphabet Writing Fluency subtest has a 30-second time limit in which the examinee is asked to write as many letters of the alphabet as he or she can. This subtest requires the use of a stopwatch or clock with a second hand in order to discontinue after exactly 30 seconds. The examinee can write the letters in upperor lowercase, in print or in cursive, and in any order. Each letter should be written only once. If the examinee needs encouragement, you may occasionally prompt him or her to keep working until the time limit is reached. Two specific prompts for this subtest are provided in the Don’t Forget box. Do not pause the stopwatch

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when providing additional explanation or encouragement.

Sentence Composition

Sentence Composition includes two components: Sentence Combining and Sentence Building. It is preferable to administer the components in this order because this is the order in which examinees in the standardization sample were administered the subtest.

Administration of Sentence Combining and Sentence Building each begin with item 1. If the examinee scores 0 points on the first two items of Sentence Combining, discontinue administration and proceed to Sentence Building. Sentence Building follows the

same discontinue rule: If the examinee scores 0 points on the first two items, discontinue administration. Otherwise, administer all items.

On Sentence Building, a prompt is administered if the examinee’s response uses the target word within a title or as the subject or object of the sentence (e.g., for the target

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word “as”: “As is a word”; “I just said as”; “As the World Turns is a show”). If he or she does not write a new sentence, proceed to the next item. The purpose of this prompt is to discourage examinees from writing sentences that fail to use the target word with meaningful context. Use this prompt only under the conditions specified, and do not give the prompt simply because the examinee used the target word incorrectly. Both prompts may be administered once per item.

Some examinees may get “stuck” and have di culty thinking of a sentence that uses a particular word. The target words were chosen specifically because they tend to be challenging for examinees with learning disabilities and language disorders. Aside from encouraging examinees to try their best, no additional help should be o ered on this subtest.

Word Reading and Pseudoword Decoding

Recording responses accurately is essential, particularly if you plan to conduct a skills analysis, and use of an audio recorder is highly recommended. Many examinees provide responses at a rapid pace, making it di cult to score and record errors accurately. Always begin administration with item 1 and continue administration until the discontinue rule is met.

To obtain a supplemental Word Reading Speed or Pseudoword Decoding Speed score, record the item completed at 30 seconds. This information is not required to obtain the Word Reading subtest standard score. Simply mark the item reached at 30 seconds and then continue administration111111111 until the discontinue rule is reached. If this information was not captured during administration, it helps to have an audio recording of the administration to obtain the item reached at 30 seconds by listening to the recording.

If the examinee skips a word or row, redirect the examinee immediately. If the examinee does not say a word clearly, circle or star the item, and after administration is complete, point to the row containing the item in question and say, “I did not hear you clearly. Please read these words again.” Asking the examinee to repeat a row rather than a single item is done to avoid the implication that a particular word was read incorrectly and should be read di erently the second time. If the examinee reads a word slowly or in parts, prompt the examinee once per item to “say it all together.” For qualitative evaluation purposes, you may record which items took the examinee longer than

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3 seconds to complete and which items elicited a self-correction from the examinee by recording check marks in the columns provided in the record form.

Essay Composition

The Essay Composition subtest has a 10-minute time limit in which the examinee is asked to write an essay. This subtest requires the use of a stopwatch or clock with a second hand in order to discontinue after exactly 600 seconds. Prompt the examinee as directed at 5 minutes and 1 minute before the time limit expires to help the examinee pace his or her work and avoid running out of time. If the examinee finishes early, you should stop timing and verify that the examinee has written at least 30 words; if not, prompt the examinee to “try to write a full page.” If the examinee finishes early and has written more than 30 words, record the elapsed time and discontinue the subtest.

“Favorite game” is defined very broadly in the manual as any enjoyable, rule-governed activity. Some examinees may not enjoy sports or traditional games. Other examinees may not be permitted to play games due to cultural or religious beliefs. In these cases, you may encourage the examinee to write about a hobby or activity that he or she enjoys, such as arts and crafts, schoolwork, chores, or cooking.

Numerical Operations

If the examinee needs help reading any of the words printed in the Response Booklet, such as “Simplify,” you may read the words aloud to the examinee. In order to apply the discontinue rule for Numerical Operations,111111111 you may choose to allow the examinee to complete as many problems as he or she can and then score the responses later, or you may score the examinee’s responses during administration and discontinue the subtest after the examinee receives four consecutive scores of 0. If you score during administration, it is important to avoid making an examinee feel uncomfortable or nervous by watching him or her work each problem. Instead, it may be helpful to allow the examinee to work without feeling watched and then review the responses after he or she is finished. However, if the child is comfortable, valuable behavioral observations may be obtained by observing the examinee at work. The examinee is not permitted to use a calculator.

Oral Expression

Oral Expression includes three components: Expressive Vocabulary, Oral Word Fluency, and Sentence Repetition. It is preferable to administer the components in this order because this is the order in which examinees in the standardization sample were administered the subtest.

The stimulus book is required to administer Expressive Vocabulary, and administration always begins with item 1. Item prompts may be repeated if the examinee requests a repetition or does not respond within a reasonable amount of time. The examinee must provide a one-word response. If more than one word is given, prompt the examinee by saying, “Tell me one word.” If the examinee gives a slang term or closely related term (e.g., “cape” for “peninsula”), say, “Tell me another word.”

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However, do not prompt the examinee after an incorrect response. Certain responses are insu cient to earn credit but warrant a query. These responses and associated queries are printed in the record form.

Oral Word Fluency is a timed subtest that requires the use of a stopwatch or clock with a second hand. Discontinue each item after exactly 60 seconds. Both items must be administered in the order presented in the record form. If an examinee gives up before the time limit is reached, ask him or her to keep trying and repeat the item prompt as needed. Many examinees provide responses at a rapid pace, making it difficult to write all responses accurately. If you use an audio recorder, you can play back the recording after administration is complete to record the responses in the record form.

Administration of Sentence Repetition always begins with item 1. You may choose to administer all 15 items and apply the discontinue rule after administration and scoring are completed, or you may score responses during administration and discontinue administration after four consecutive scores of 0. This subtest requires careful recording of three error types: Additions, Substitutions/Omissions, and Transpositions. Prior to administration, review the recording and scoring directions carefully. Recording errors incorrectly could result in an early discontinue; for this reason, it is a good idea to administer additional items past the discontinue rule if you are unsure about whether you have recorded or scored the responses correctly.

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Oral Reading Fluency

The Oral Reading Fluency subtest is administered by item sets that use grade-based start and stop points. The examinee reads passages aloud from the Oral Reading Fluency booklet and is allowed to review each passage while answering the comprehension question. The comprehension questions are for qualitative evaluation purposes only and do not contribute to the subtest score. However, the comprehension questions are not optional and must be administered according to the directions in the record form. The purpose of the comprehension questions is to structure the subtest in a way that encourages the examinee to read for meaning. After all passages and comprehension questions have been administered for the examinee’s item set, complete the Prosody Scale at the end of this subtest for qualitative evaluation purposes.

Prior to administration, review the recording and scoring directions carefully. This subtest requires careful recording of four error types: Supplied Words, Additions, Substitutions/ Omissions, and Transpositions. Supplied Words are words that the examiner provides to the examinee after the examinee spends 5 seconds attempting to read a word. Record a “G” (for “given”)

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above each word supplied to the examinee. Recording and scoring Additions, Substitutions/Omissions, and Transpositions follow similar rules as described for Sentence Repetition. You may choose to record errors as the examinee is reading, or you may create an audio recording of the subtest administration and review the recording after administration is complete to record reading errors. Use of an audio recorder is recommended to ensure accurate recording and scoring. A stopwatch is recommended to time how long it takes the examinee to read each passage. Record the elapsed time in seconds.

Applying the item set reverse rule correctly is necessary for properly administering this subtest. This subtest includes an item set reverse rule that 22222222111111111 requires the examinee to reverse one start point if the reading time on the first passage of the item set exceeds the specified time limit. If so, you may choose to interrupt the examinee’s reading to reverse to the preceding item set, or you may allow the examinee to finish reading the passage before reversing. Use your clinical judgment to determine the best way to maintain rapport, sustain the examinee’s motivation, and avoid causing the examinee undue frustration. The reverse rule may be applied a maximum of two times from the grade-appropriate item set if

the examinee meets the reverse rule criterion each time. After two reversals, the full item set must be administered.

It is recommended that you begin at the examinee’s grade-appropriate start point whenever possible because it is important to find the most appropriate item set for the examinee. The most appropriate item set is the one closest to the grade-appropriate item set in which the examinee reads the passage within the given time limit. If you believe that the examinee will not be able to read the passage and that starting at the grade-appropriate start point would be detrimental to the

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examinee’s subsequent motivation and performance, you may begin one start point below the grade-appropriate start point.

Spelling

Prior to administering the Spelling subtest, you should become familiar with how to pronounce each item correctly by listening to the audio file (track 25) and referring to the pronunciation guide in the Examiner’s Manual. Read each item prompt at a natural, conversational pace, and pronounce each spelling word according to the pronunciation guide. Do not pronounce the target word slowly or with unusual emphasis, because this may help or hinder the examinee’s performance. For words with more than one pronunciation, choose the one you think is most familiar to the examinee. You may provide an alternate pronunciation as needed. Item prompts may be repeated if the examinee requests a repetition or has not responded in an appropriate time frame.

In order to apply the discontinue rule, you must be able to score the examinee’s responses during administration. However, it is important to avoid making the examinee feel uncomfortable or nervous by watching him or her spell each word. Instead, it may be helpful to allow the examinee to work on an item without feeling watched and then review the response after he or she is finished.

Math Fluency—Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication

The Math Fluency subtests may be administered111111111 individually or together. If all three Math Fluency subtests are administered, it is preferable to administer the subtests in the order presented in the record form because this is the order in which examinees in the standardization sample were administered the subtests. As specified in the record form, the full administration instructions must be read before administering Math Fluency—Addition and before each subsequent Math Fluency subtest if there is a delay between subtest admin-

istrations. If more than one Math Fluency subtest is administered and there is no delay between subtest administrations, the brief (abbreviated) administration instructions may be read before administering each of the following: Math Fluency—Subtraction and/or Math Fluency—Multiplication.

For each Math Fluency subtest, make sure the examinee completes the problems in the specified order. If this requires redirection, do not stop timing, but immediately redirect the examinee by pointing to the appropriate item and reminding the examinee to solve the problems in that order. If the examinee