Administration Guidelines for the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment

Kindergarten Form B

Purpose:
The purpose of this assessment is to gather information about a student and monitor progress with
the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness lessons. This is not a normed assessment, so teachers may use
examples when introducing each skill. Options for correct and incorrect responses are provided for
teacher administration.
This assessment, Form B, can be used to gather ongoing data about a whole class throughout a
school year, to measure progress with the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum. This
assessment is not required to use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum.

Assessment Materials:
The materials required for this assessment include:
➔ One copy of the assessment for each student (for teacher recording)
➔ Pencil

Administering the Assessment:

● The assessment is administered individually to students.
● Phonemic awareness is oral and auditory, so the assessment administrator will record all
responses. There is no student copy provided for the student, and the students do not read or
write words during the assessment.
● Mark a correct response with a plus sign (+) in the Student Response column.
● Mark an incorrect response with a dash (-) and record the incorrect response.
There is a place to record student errors, as this can inform instruction.

Discontinue: You may discontinue the skill if there are no correct responses within the first 3 words.
Response Time: If a student is unable to give a response within 4 seconds, the administrator can
move onto the next assessment word. Indicate this in the Observation checklist for each skill.

Visual Support and Hand Motions: We do not require hand motions to be used during this assessment
administration. However, if the administrator finds that visuals such as counters or chips, or
tapping/chopping sounds would be helpful, he/she may decide to use these as a support. This would be
noted on the Scoring Guidelines page at the end, or it can be noted for each skill.

Observations: There is a place to record student observations for each skill, and overall with the scoring
guidelines. These observations can be used to inform instruction during whole group lessons or for
intervention.

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Student Name: ____________________ Assessment Date: ________

Form B: Phonemic Awareness Assessment for Kindergarten

Onset Fluency: Initial phoneme isolation RF.K.2.D

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word and isolate the first sound in the word. The word is
near. The first sound we hear in the word near is /n/. Can you repeat this back to me: near, /n/?
Now it’s your turn. What is the first sound you hear in the word same?

Correct response Yes, /s/ is the first sound we hear in the word same.

Incorrect response Listen, /s/, same; /s/ is the first sound we hear in the word same.

Teacher: I will say a word and you will repeat it. What is the first sound you hear in the word ____?
Word Correct Response Student Response Results
1. pear /p/

2. done /d/

3. first /f/

4. goes /g/

5. west /w/ ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ provides letter name instead of sound __ repeats whole word
__ response time more than 4 seconds

Blending Phonemes into spoken words

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say the sounds in a word and blend those sounds together to
say the whole word. Listen. /s - ē - d/, seed. When I blend those 3 sounds together, /s - ē - d/, the
word is seed. Now it’s your turn. Listen to these sounds and tell me the whole word: /m - ā - d/. What
is the word?

Correct response Yes, when you blend the sounds, /m - ā - d/, the word is made..

Incorrect response Listen, when I blend the 3 sounds, /m – ā - d/, the word is made. Can you say it
back to me? /m – ā -d/, made.
Teacher: I will say three sounds. What is the whole word?
Note: Students can repeat the sounds before blending them into a word.
Sounds Correct Response Student Response Results
1. /b/ - /ŭ/ - /g/ bug
2. /d/ - /ī/ - /s/ dice
3. /k/ - /ō/ - /d/ code
4. /s/ - /ā/ - /v/ save
5. /p/ - /ĕ/ - /t/ pet ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ repeats the sounds and then blends into a word __ response time more than 4 seconds

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 __ adds or omits sounds when blending into a word

Final Phoneme Isolation RF.K.2.D

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word and isolate the last sound in the word. The word is
head. The last sound I hear in the word head is /d/. Can you say that; head, /d/?
Now it’s your turn: I will say a word and you say it back to me: rain. What is the last sound you hear in
the word rain?
Correct response Yes, the last sound we hear in the word rain is /n/.

Incorrect response Listen, rain; /n/is the last sound we hear in the word rain. Can you say it
back to me: rain, /n/?

Teacher: I will say a word. You will tell me the last sound you hear in the word.
Word Correct Response Student Response Results
1. zip /p/

2. knob /b/

3. love /v/

4. cage /j/

5. some /m/ ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ provides letter name instead of sound __ repeats whole word
__ response time more than 4 seconds

Segmenting words into Phonemes

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word and segment (separate) the word into the sounds I
hear. Listen, joke, /j/ - /ō/ - /k/. I hear three sounds in the word joke. Now it’s your turn. I will say a word
and you will say it back to me: not. What are the sounds you hear in not?

Correct response Yes, we hear three sounds, /n/ - /ŏ/ - /t/, in the word not.

Incorrect response When I segment the word not, I hear three sounds: /n/ - /ŏ/ - /t/.
Can you say it back to me: not, /n/ - /ŏ/ - /t/

Teacher: I will say a word. What are the sounds you hear in the word __?
Word Correct Response Student Response Results
1. hope /h/ - /ō/ - /p/

2. size /s/ - /ī/ - /z/

3. less /l/ - /ĕ/ -/s/

4. tap /t/ - /ă/ - /p/

5. week /w/ - /ē/ - /k/

Observations: check all that apply
__ adds or omits sounds when segmenting __ response time more than 4 seconds
__ uses hand motions to segment a word into phonemes

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 Isolating the medial (vowel) sound in spoken words RF.K.2.D

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word and isolate the sound I hear in the middle of the
word. The word is race. The sound I hear in the middle of race is /ā/. Can you say that; race, /ā/?

Now it’s your turn: I will say a word and you say it back to me: night. What is the sound you hear in the
middle of the word night?

Correct response Yes, the sound we hear in the middle of the word night is /ī/.

Incorrect response Listen, /n - ī - t/, /ī/ is the sound we hear in the middle of the word night.

Teacher: I will say a word. You will tell me the sound you hear in the middle of the word.
Word Correct Response Student Response Results

1. hop /ŏ/
2. make /ā/
3. sum /ŭ/
4. with /ĭ/
5. beak /ē/ ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ provides letter name instead of sound __ repeats whole word
__ response time more than 4 seconds

Adding Initial Phonemes RF.K.2.E

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word part. I will add a sound at the beginning to make a
new word. Listen, /-un/. When I add /f/ at the beginning, the word is, /f - un/, fun.
Now it’s your turn. Say, /-ock/; add /n/ at the beginning and the word is?

Correct response Yes, when you add /n/ to /ock/, the word is knock.

When I add /n/ to /-ock/, the word is /n - ock/, knock.

Incorrect response
Can you say it back to me? /n - ock/, knock.

Teacher: I will say a word part (rime) and you will say it back to me. Then I will tell you a sound to add at
the beginning and you will tell me the new word.
Example: T: Say, -ate S: -ate T: Add /g/ at the beginning and the word is? Student Response: gate
Word Part/Rime Add /*/ Correct Response Student Response Results
1. -ate /g/ gate
2. -ud /m/ mud
3. -oat /b/ boat
4. -ox /f/ fox
5. -eat /h/ heat ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ responds with a pause between the first sound and the word part (does not say the whole word)
__ response time more than 4 seconds

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Deleting Initial Phonemes
Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word. I will take away or delete the first sound and tell you
what is left. The word is mice. Without /m/, what’s left is -ice.
Now it’s your turn. Say, case. Without /k/, what’s left is?

Correct response Yes, case without /k/ is /-ace/.

Incorrect response Let’s try it again. Say, case. /k/ is the first sound we hear in case, so when we take
/k/ away, what’s left is -ace. Can you say -ace?

Teacher: I will say a word. You will say the word back to me. I will tell you the sound to take away or
delete, and you will tell me what is left.
Example: T: soak S: soak T: Without /s/, what’s left is? Student Response: /-oak/.

Word Without /*/ Correct Response Student Response Results

1. soak /s/ -oak
2. rug /r/ -ug
3. kite /k/ -ite
4. page /p/ -age
5. deep /d/ -eep ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ responds with the whole word __ response time more than 4 seconds

Substituting Initial Phonemes RF.K.2.E

Teacher Administration Directions: I will say a word. I will change the first sound to make a new word. The
word is nice. Change /n/to /d/ and the word is dice.
Now it’s your turn. Say, soap; change /s/ to /h/ and the word is?

Correct response Yes, when you change /s/ to /h/, the word is hope.

Incorrect response Let’s try it again. Say, soap. /s/ is the first sound we hear in soap. When I change
/s/ to /h/, the new word is /h - ope/, hope. Can you say hope?

Teacher: I will say a word. You will say the word back to me. I will tell you the sound to change, and you
will tell me the new word.
Example: T: cone S: cone T: Change /k/ to /z/ and the word is? Student Response: zone

Word Change /*/ to /*/ Correct Response Student Response Results

1. cone /k/ to /z/ zone

2. mail /m/ to /n/ nail

3. late /l/ to /d/ date

4. book /b/ to /t/ took

5. save /s/ to /k/ cave ___/5

Observations: check all that apply

__ responds with the first word __ response time more than 4 seconds

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 Guidelines for Scoring the Kindergarten Phonemic Awareness Assessment
Form B
This assessment provides information about a students’ understanding of phonemic awareness at
the phoneme (sound) level. If students struggle with this assessment, a Phonological Awareness
assessment for Kindergarten is available to assess students with larger units of language
(phonological awareness), and we offer progress monitoring assessments for individual skills to
identify specific areas of need for students.

While the assessment results may inform instruction for intervention, many students begin school
with limited or no exposure to these phonemic awareness skills, and most will make adequate
progress through consistent whole group implementation of the daily Phonemic Awareness
lessons.
Using the assessment to inform instruction: Students who score in the “Beginning” range may
need additional intervention with targeted skills. Intervention instruction can be provided using the
Kindergarten Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum. Additional progress monitoring
assessments are available to monitor student progress with specific skills.

Kindergarten Phonemic Awareness Assessment Form B

Beginning Developing Proficient

Onset Fluency: Initial Phoneme Isolation 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Blending Phonemes into words 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Final Phoneme Isolation 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Segmenting words into phonemes 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Isolating Medial Sounds in words 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Adding initial phonemes 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Deleting initial phonemes 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Substituting initial phonemes 0 – 2 correct 3 -4 correct 5 correct

Overall Results: After the assessment has been given, the teacher identifies areas of strength and need for the
child & records the findings here.

Areas of Strength: _________________________________________________________

Areas of Need & Plan for Intervention: ___________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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