SAN DIEGO QUICK ASSESSMENT

Name __________________________ Grade _______ Date __________

INSTRUCTIONS: Begin with a list set that is 2 or 3 grades below the student’s grade level and have the student read aloud until the student makes three or more errors in a list,
mark each word that the student misreads. Have the student read each list until they reach a list where they make three or more errors.
-Once complete, look at the lists and record the grade level reached for each frustration level, according to the number of errors as indicated here:

FRUSTATION LEVELS:

-ONE ERROR: Independent Level -TWO ERRORS: Instructional Level -THREE ERRORS: Frustration Level

Independent____________________ Instructional____________________ Frustration____________________

Preprimer Primer Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3

see______________ you _____________ road ____________ our _____________ city _____________

play _____________ come____________ live _____________ please ___________ middle __________
me______________ not _____________ thank____________ myself ___________ moment _________
at_______________ with_____________ when____________ town ____________ frightened _______
run _____________ jump ____________ bigger ___________ early ____________ exclaimed _______
go ______________ help_____________ how_____________ send ____________ several __________
and _____________ is _______________ always ___________ wide ____________ lonely ___________
look_____________ work ____________ night ____________ believe __________ drew____________
can _____________ are______________ spring ___________ quietly __________ since____________
here_____________ this _____________ today____________ carefully _________ straight _________
0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________

Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7

decided ______________ scanty________________ bridge________________ amber _______________

served________________ business ______________ commercial ___________ dominion_____________
amazed_______________ develop ______________ abolish _______________ sundry _______________
silent_________________ considered ____________ trucker _______________ capillary______________
wrecked ______________ discussed _____________ apparatus _____________ impetuous____________
improved _____________ behaved______________ elementary____________ blight ________________
certainly ______________ splendid ______________ comment _____________ wrest ________________
entered_______________ acquainted____________ necessity _____________ enumerate ____________
realized_______________ escaped ______________ gallery _______________ daunted______________
interrupted____________ grim _________________ relativity ______________ condescend___________
0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________

Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11

capacious _____________ conscientious__________ zany _________________ galore________________

limitation _____________ isolation ______________ jerkin ________________ rotunda ______________
pretext _______________ molecule _____________ nausea _______________ capitalism ____________
intrigue_______________ ritual_________________ gratuitous_____________ prevaricate ___________
delusion ______________ momentous ___________ linear ________________ visible _______________
immaculate ___________ vulnerable ____________ inept _________________ exonerate ____________
ascent________________ kinship _______________ legality _______________ superannuate _________
acrid _________________ conservatism __________ aspen ________________ luxuriate _____________
binocular _____________ jaunty________________ amnesty ______________ piebald ______________
embankment __________ inventive _____________ barometer ____________ crunch _______________
0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________ 0
# of errors ________

Source: “The Graded Word List: Quick Gauge of Reading Ability” by Margaret La Pray et al. in Journal of Reading, 12, 305–307 (January 1969).
 Student Reading Lists

see you road our city

play come live please middle
me not thank myself moment
at with when town frightened
run jump bigger early exclaimed
go help how send several
and is always wide lonely
look work night believe drew
can are spring quietly since
here this today carefully straight

decided scanty bridge amber

served business commercial dominion
amazed develop abolish sundry
silent considered trucker capillary
wrecked discussed apparatus impetuous
improved behaved elementary blight
certainly splendid comment wrest
entered acquainted necessity enumerate
realized escaped gallery daunted
interrupted grim relativity condescend
 Student Reading Lists

capacious conscientious zany galore

limitation isolation jerkin rotunda
pretext molecule nausea capitalism
intrigue ritual gratuitous prevaricate
delusion momentous linear visible
immaculate vulnerable inept exonerate
ascent kinship legality superannuate
acrid conservatism aspen luxuriate
binocular jaunty amnesty piebald
embankment inventive barometer crunch