• FAST: earlyReading

    Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST)'s earlyReading assessment is administered to students in kindergarten and grade 1 in order to determine reading skill development. The earlyReading assessment is comprised of twelve components or subtests, three of which are used for all students in Anoka-Hennepin. The subtests given vary across grade level and season so as to best match reading skill development and reliably assess which students are meeting benchmarks and which students need additional assistance. The subtests given each test period are administered individually and are typically completed in 5-10 minutes per student. Another tool in the FAST system, the Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) is used in trimesters 2 and 3 in first grade. The subtests used for all Anoka-Hennepin kindergarten and first grade students are listed below.

    Kindergarten assessments for each trimester as follows:

    • Trimester 1: Concepts of Print, Letter Names, Onset Sounds, Letter Sounds 
    • Trimester 2: Onset Sounds, Letter Sounds, Nonsense Words, Word Segmenting
    • Trimester 3: Letter Sounds, Nonsense Words, Word Segmenting, Sight Words

    Grade 1 assessments for each trimester as follows:

    • Trimester 1: Letter Sounds, Sentence Reading, Nonsense Words, Sight Words, Word Segmenting
    • Trimester 2: Nonsense Words, Sight Words, Word Segmenting, Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading (CBM)
    • Trimester 3: Sight Words, Word Segmenting, Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading

    Assessment descriptions

    • Letter Names
      • Students are asked to read and identify letter names in random order. Students are assessed in reading fluency, as they are asked to read and identify letters in one minute.
    • Letter Sounds
      • Students are asked to read and identify letter sounds most commonly associated with each letter in random order. Students are assessed in reading fluency, as they are asked to read and identify the letter sounds in one minute.
    • Nonsense Words 
      • Students are asked to read a list of nonsense words or parts of whole words for understanding of early phonics skills. Students are assessed for reading fluency and are asked to read a list of words in one minute.
    • Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading: Word Reading Efficiency and Comprehension
      • Students are assessed for accuracy, error types, and qualitative features while they read a grade-level passage aloud.


    Results of the FAST earlyReading assessment are immediate to teachers and are shared with parents and guardians through the A-H parent portal.