Spelling Assessments

Test of Written Spelling - Fourth Edition [TWS-4]

Stephen C. Larsen, Donald D. Hammill, Louisa Moats

The revised Test of Written Spelling - Fourth Edition (TWS-4) is a norm-referenced test of spelling. The test is administered using a dictated word format. The TWS-4 now has two alternate or equivalent forms (A and B) which make it more useful in test-teach-test situations. The TWS-4 is appropriate for students in grades 1 through 12 as well as those in remedial programs.
The TWS-4 can be administered in 20 minutes to either groups or individuals and yields standard scores, percentiles, and both ages and grade equivalents.
The results of the TWS-4 may be used to three specific purposes: to identify students whose scores are significantly below those of their peers and who might need interventions designed to improve spelling proficiency, to document overall progress in spelling as a consequence of intervention programs, and to serve as a measure for research efforts designed to investigate spelling.

Word Identification and Spelling Test [WIST]

Barbara A. Wilson, Rebecca H. Felton

The WIST meets a teacher's need for detailed information that can be used to identify the areas in which students are having difficulty with reading and/or spelling and to develop appropriate instructional interventions. It includes both norm-referenced and informal assessments. The WIST specifically targets those aspects of reading that are most important for the identification and treatment of poor and disabled readers.

The WIST has three subtests that can be used in either the Norm-Referenced or Informal assessment. The Norm-Referenced or Informal assessment has two "core" subtests (Word Identification and Spelling) and one "supplemental" subtest (Sound-Symbol Knowledge) and a composite score (called the Fundamental Literacy Index).

An elementary version (Grades 2-5) and a secondary version (Grades 6-12) are included for ages 7 to 19 years. The WIST is easy to administer and score in about 40 minutes on an individual basis and converts raw scores to percentiles, standard scores, and age and grade equivalents.