Kindergarten Readiness Assessment - Literacy (KRA-L)
All Ohio kindergartners attending public schools are assessed at the start of the school year with a tool developed by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment - Literacy (KRA-L) measures skill areas important to becoming a successful reader. It also helps teachers plan for experiences and lessons that encourage reading.
The KRA-L assesses oral language, rhyming, letter identification and alliteration-elements identified as essential for reading. The KRA-L is composed of 6 activities that include:
- Answering who, what, when why and how questions
- Repeating sentences
- Identifying words that rhyme
- Producing words that rhyme
- Identifying letters
- Identifying beginning sounds of words
Ohio Department of Education uses three performance bands to score results:
- 0-13 points: Assess broadly for intense instruction
- 14-23 points: Assess for targeted instruction
- 24-29 points: Assess for enriched instruction
How Can Libraries Use KRA-L Data?
Public libraries partner with chldren's most important teachers - parents and caregivers - to prepare every child to be a successful learner. Finding the KRA-L scores for the students in your community will help you assess the level of need for Ohio Ready to Read Parent Workshops. To find the KRA-L scores by district in your county, go to the Ohio Department of Education KRA-L page and scroll down to "Aggregate Data Reports and Related Resources". The KRA-L page also has several helpful resources available for download, including a Family Guide to Understanding Early Reading Skills.