: Individual diagnostic test for teacher/parent use. Administering the Test (First-Time Guide) 1. Preparation
If a child spontaneously corrects a mispronounced word, count the final attempt.
If you cannot find the official Holborn sheets, combine the administration rules from the Holborn manual with passages from another free scale (e.g., the Neale Analysis or the Salford Sentence Reading Test, where older editions are free). This "hybrid method" is imperfect but excellent for training.
While some physical manuals require purchase, the complete set of test sentences and instructions is available for free through several educational archives. : Individual diagnostic test for teacher/parent use
Do not sound out words or correct the child during the test.
The test consists of a series of sentences that increase progressively in difficulty. Unlike comprehensive literacy diagnostics, the Holborn Reading Scale specifically isolates and pronunciation accuracy . Target Age Range: Children aged 5 to 14 years. Testing Time: Approximately 5 to 10 minutes per child.
By taking advantage of these free resources and tips, you'll be well-prepared to administer the Holborn Reading Scale and support your students' reading development. If you cannot find the official Holborn sheets,
For a more robust digital solution, look for open-source educational software or free trial tiers of speech therapy platforms. These programs allow you to log multiple student profiles, track reading intervention milestones, and generate downloadable PDF reports for parents or school administrators.
Here is how to conduct your first assessment:
: Ask the child to read the sentences aloud, starting from the first sentence. Do not sound out words or correct the child during the test
Email the current publisher (Hodder Education) and explain: "I am a first-time user in a low-income school. Do you provide a complimentary sample pack of the Holborn Reading Scale manual and test sheets?" Publishers often send one free sample to legitimate educators. Mention this article – they value literacy advocacy.
For those new to using the Holborn Reading Scale, here are some free resources to get you started: