GORT

Gray Oral Reading Test, 5th Edition (GORT-5) is one of the most widely used reading assessments by speech-language pathologists.

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 can be used to assess oral reading fluency and comprehension in individuals between the ages of 6 and 23 years 11 months. The oral reading fluency score is calculated by combining the individual’s scores for rate and accuracy of reading. 

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 is a valuable assessment tool that can be used by speech therapists to identify and diagnose specific reading disabilities in children and young adults.

It can also be used to help tailor speech therapy intervention for reading skills to address a client’s specific needs. The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 allows the therapist to measure a client’s progress and assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies.

Let’s take a closer look at the Gray Oral Reading Test. We’ll cover how to administer the Gray Oral Reading Test-5, tips for scoring and interpretation, how to apply the results to speech therapy practice, and more.

Watch Your Free On-Demand Webinar: 9 Admin Tasks to Automate In Your Private Practice

What is the Gray Oral Reading Test?

The first edition of the Gray Oral Reading Test was written in 1963, and since then several revisions have been released. The most current edition of the Gray Oral Reading Test is the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 (5th Edition), which was published in 2012.

The purposes of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 are to:

• Identify clients with oral reading deficits

• Determine an individual’s strengths and areas of difficulties related to reading

• Evaluate a client’s progress during intervention

• Provide a standardized, norm-referenced assessment that can be used to conduct research of reading abilities in school-aged children.

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 consists of two equivalent forms (Form A and Form B). Each one contains 16 developmentally sequenced reading passages. Five comprehension questions accompany each reading passage.

Included in the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 Kit is an examiner’s manual, a student book, and examiner record booklets for Forms A and B.

Administration of the Gray Oral Reading Test

When preparing for administration and implementation of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5, there are some helpful tips for therapists to follow.

• The therapist should be thoroughly familiarized with the Gray Oral Reading Test-5  examiner’s manual and instructions. The clinician should note the basal and ceiling rules for the assessment, which can improve the ease and efficiency of administering the test. Reviewing the reading passages, comprehension questions, and the accompanying record form while doing this can also be helpful.

• It’s important to allow enough time to complete the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 in an evaluation or treatment session. The SLP should provide clear instructions prior to the client reading each passage aloud.

• The therapist will record the client’s performance as the child reads, and should practice patience and encouragement throughout administration of the assessment. 

How to score the Gray Oral Reading Test?

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 provides the following scores pertaining to a client’s reading skills:

• Rate
• Accuracy
• Fluency (rate and accuracy combined)
• Comprehension
• Oral Reading Index (a composite of Fluency and Comprehension)

To score the results of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5, the clinician refers to the examiner’s manual to view the scoring criteria for the specific age range that corresponds to the client.

Each age group contains a unique set of scoring criteria. This aligns with developmental milestones and reading expectations for that age-range. Clinicians can utilize these age-specific benchmarks to accurately measure the client’s reading abilities compared to their peers.

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 assesses three fundamental oral reading skills:

• Accuracy: The number of words read correctly
• Rate: The speed of reading
• Prosody: The rhythmic flow, expression, and intonation during oral reading

The Oral Reading Index consists of a standard score, based on a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Using this guideline allows the SLP to determine the severity level of the client’s reading disorder (i.e., mild, moderate, or severe). Scores also yield a percentile rank.

The client’s scores in these areas allows the SLP to identify specific areas of strengths with regards to his or her reading skills, as well as areas that may require intervention. For example, a client who demonstrates high accuracy but has difficulty with rate and prosody may benefit from speech therapy that targets reading fluency intervention.

A client’s areas of strengths on the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 should also be noted by the SLP. This can provide the clinician with valuable insight into what treatment techniques or activities might be most effective to incorporate into therapy.

The Gray Oral Reading Test-5 offers an optional miscue analysis system, which allows the clinician to analyze reading errors and customize interventions according to the client’s needs.

Role of the Gray Oral Reading Test in speech therapy

The results of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 can serve as a basis for developing an effective treatment plan for reading intervention.

First, the SLP can develop clear and measurable therapy goals. These goals should address the client’s specific areas of difficulty identified on the assessment results, in addition to other information obtained within the SLP’s comprehensive evaluation.

Download Your Free SMART Goals worksheet

The speech therapist can then select evidence-based intervention strategies that align with these goals. This might include specific strategies designed to improve reading fluency, accuracy, prosody, or comprehension.

For example, a research-based reading intervention program such as Orton Gillingham can be incorporated into speech therapy sessions to target improving a client’s reading fluency and accuracy.

Clinicians should monitor the client’s progress and adapt goals as indicated. Ongoing monitoring can be completed through periodic administration of standardized assessments, such as the Gray Oral Reading Test-5.

By comparing a client’s performance on re-administrations of the test, he or she can gain valuable insight into their progress on improving specific skills. This also provides information about the effectiveness of the current therapy techniques or approach being used.

Documentation and incorporating Gray Oral Reading Test results

When administering and reporting on the results of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 assessment, thorough and accurate documentation is critical. The clinician can diligently record scores, observations, and qualitative information related to a client’s performance on reading tasks.

By reporting on these areas in a clear manner on documentation such as evaluation reports, the SLP can create a holistic picture of the client’s reading skills, including any areas of concern.

This documentation allows an SLP to incorporate areas identified on the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 scores into the client’s treatment plan. This includes guiding selection of appropriate reading interventions, strategies, and materials and implementing these into therapy sessions.

Documenting Gray Oral Reading Test-5 scores in an initial evaluation report and in subsequent progress notes or re-evaluations can clearly highlight a client’s progress and changes in reading skills over time. The SLP can specifically compare standard scores on an initial assessment of the Gray Oral Reading Test-5 to those on a re-administration of the test.