What are examples of decoding assessments?

Decoding assessments are specifically designed to evaluate a student's ability to recognize and manipulate sounds and letters, which are essential skills for reading. The correct answer highlights activities such as pronouncing words and working with nonsense words. When students pronounce words they read, they demonstrate their ability to apply their understanding of phonics and phonemic awareness. Working with nonsense words is particularly valuable in decoding assessments because it ensures that students are not relying on memorized sight words; instead, they are using their decoding skills to process unfamiliar terms. This helps teachers assess a student’s ability to decode new words based on their knowledge of sound-letter relationships.

The other options focus on different skills not directly related to decoding. Formulating creative stories emphasizes writing and expressive language rather than decoding abilities. Memorizing the spelling of tricky words pertains more to rote memorization and spelling rather than the ability to decode unfamiliar words. Reciting sounds without written context may enhance phonemic awareness, but it lacks the direct application of decoding within the reading process, making it less effective for assessing decoding skills specifically.