How to Find a DRA Level on Second-Grade Books
Developmental Reading Assessment measures a student's reading level from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The DRA level assists the educator in finding books for a student that correspond with his grasp of phonetics, word recognition and comprehension, among other skills. Educators chart the individual's progress throughout the year. With a DRA guide, they can find suitable books for a second-grader's individual needs.
Things You'll Need
- Developmental Reading Assessment K-3 Teacher Resource Guide
- DRA test
- DRA level chart
- DRA book graph
Instructions
-
-
1
Identify a second-grader's reading level through a DRA. Have the student take the test in the fall and again in the spring to gauge any changes. After the first test, create a plan that aims to improve the student's verbal, comprehension and other reading skills. From the test results, use the DRA number system to meet his instructional needs. For a second-grader, DRA guided reading levels begin at 18 and end at 30. Those are comparable to the Lexile levels 300 to 600 or Scholastic guided reading levels E through N.
-
2
Create a yearly benchmark of achievement using a DRA book graph. Draw up a reading list with a systematic progression. Document the student's proficiency, pinpoint his strengths and weaknesses and chart any changes. Adjust the guided level as needed.
-
-
3
Conduct a leveled search based on Step 2 by using Scholastic's Teacher Book Wizard, a guided reading level search engine. Set DRA preferences within the wizard by reading level, subject matter, genre and language. Alternatively, insert an author or book title for a quick search. For example, a DRA leveled search of 18 suggested "Little Bear," by Else Holmelund Minarik. A second-grade DRA guided level of 24 suggested "Tied Up in Knots," by Carl Sommer. A second-grade DRA level of 28 recommended the folktale "Coyote and the Star."
-
4
Find suitable books through a letter categorized system with an accompanying DRA level chart. For example, Reading A-Z is presented alphabetically and matches readers to appropriate text. It sorts books by grade and lists what skills and abilities are needed at the guided DRA level. The site offers educators strategies and objectives to create a comprehensive instruction plan for each reader.
-
5
Go to other school or library sites and compare DRA leveling criteria with other guided reading levels such as Lexile, Reading Recovery and Fountas & Pinnell. Note that the first number of the DRA refers to the actual grade. The second number refers to placement level within the grade. The higher the second number, the higher the reading level of the reader for that grade.
-
6
Download a DRA level chart to select suitable reading assignments for a second-grader.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
For struggling readers, the DRA may be administered more frequently.
Conduct assessments in a quiet space free from distractions and interruptions.
Do not correct a student when conducting the oral assessment or word analysis. It is designed to identify a student's independent reading strengths and weaknesses.
