#CompleteTest

• Ages: 6 through 24-11
• Testing Time: 5 to 10 minutes
• Administration: Individual
• Norm-referenced

A User qualification code classifies all tests. This test requires QUALIFICATION LEVEL B.

Authored by Joseph K. Torgesen, Richard K. Wagner, and Carol A. Rashotte

The Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) was originally published in 1999 to meet the need for a quick and reliable way to assess efficiency of sight word recognition and phonemic decoding in children and adults. Its purpose was to provide professionals in schools and clinics with a reliable and valid measure of fluency and accuracy of print-based word-reading skills.

Since its publication, the TOWRE has been popular with professionals in psychology and education. It has been featured in over 200 research reports focusing on various aspects of reading and language development in normal and clinical populations. The test received two positive reviews in the Mental Measurements Yearbook, and has been discussed in numerous books and articles devoted to current assessment practices for schools and clinics.

The Test of Word Reading Efficiency–Second Edition (TOWRE–2) is a measure of an individual’s ability to pronounce printed words (Sight Word Efficiency) and phonemically regular nonwords (Phonemic Decoding Efficiency) accurately and fluently. Because it can be administered very quickly, the test provides an efficient means of monitoring the growth of two kinds of word reading skill that are critical in the development of overall reading ability.

Each of the two subtests of the TOWRE–2 has four alternate forms, A through D. The Sight Word Efficiency (SWE) subtest assesses the number of real words printed in vertical lists that an individual can accurately identify within 45 seconds. Similarly, the Phonemic Decoding Efficiency (PDE) subtest measures the number of pronounceable nonwords presented in vertical lists that an individual can accurately decode within 45 seconds. The four forms of each subtest are of equivalent difficulty, and any of the forms of each subtest may be given depending on the purposes of the assessment. If only one form of each test is used, the test can be administered in approximately 5 minutes, including time for directions and practice items.

Kit includes: Examiner's Manual, 25 each of Profile/Examiner Record Booklets A and B, and Form A, B, C, and D Word Cards, and 25 Response to Intervention booklets in a sturdy storage box.

A central principle of professional test use is that individuals should use only those tests for which they have the appropriate training and expertise. For more information on professional testing practices and qualification levels, click here.