Word Reading Assessment

WRA is an individually administered, computer-adaptive, nationally normed assessment of word reading ability for students in grades K–3. Developed by Drs. Hugh Catts and Yaacov Petscher of the Florida Center for Reading Research, WRA provides early identification of children needing instructional support to prevent later reading difficulties. It measures four skills (blending, deletion, nonword reading, and word reading) that are strongly predictive of reading success. WRA is highly efficient, producing valid and reliable estimates of ability with just seven to ten items per task and taking 8-10 minutes to complete. Screening algorithms classify students into risk categories (low, moderate, or high) for future reading difficulties. Reading specialists, dyslexia interventionists, speech-language pathologists, and similar professionals use WRA to screen for word reading difficulties and monitor progress against normative benchmarks over time.

It is critical to identify word reading difficulties in young children as early as possible because, if left unaddressed, they can lead to a child falling further and further behind their peers. Research consistently shows that children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are far less likely to catch up later.

– Dr. Hugh Catts, Florida State University

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